You Make Daddy Sick
by mygyps17
Summary: Clark and Lana meet Clark's future daughter. Only problem is...Lana apparently isn't the little girl's mother. Bits of Chlollie and Clois. Mostly Jo though.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Smallville or any of its characters. Some ideas and quotes/dialogue came from seasons 8 and 9_

**A/N: **_I have a lot of favorite types of stories; stories I'll read (or watch) no matter what t.v. show, book, or movie it comes from. There's the classic egg, or baby doll school project; you know, the one when the teacher pairs up students so they can see what parenting is all about. I think I might have watched that one a thousand times on a thousand different shows. There's also the marriage of convenience plot. Love that one. Amnesia getting, body switching, oh and the one where 'platonic' friends have to pretend to be dating for some reason or other._

_But my favorite is when friends, who are more like foes meet their future child. It's probably why I loved Sailor Moon so much as a child. I loved the Rini, Darien, Serena thing. I looked for some Smallville ones, but there aren't very many; or I suck at finding them; so I came up with a scary idea. 'Why not just make up my own?' Well let me tell you; it's a lot easier said than done._

_I'm rambling a bit, but I just want to say that, I've fashioned the child after my goddaughter, Alexis. They're the same age, so if you think I've made the little girl too smart or too much of a smart alec, This is the way Alexis thinks, and talks._

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Her family tells her she's special. That's why she has to be careful around other kids; around other _people_. That's why she can run fast; faster than them, faster than their cars, even faster than the choo-choo train. That's why when she sneaks into her daddy's loft and opens up the metal box in his old desk, the little green rock inside hurts her.

She falls down.

She's never been hurt before; has never felt any type of pain in her whole entire life.

Tears spring to her eyes, and she clutches at her stomach.

"I'm sorry," she sobs, logic suggesting to her that this is punishment for running away from her grandmother; and for sneaking up here.

She's been told numerous times not to touch her daddy's stuff. But she can't help it. She's never met her father before; she's never even seen his face.

Well, that's not entirely true. She's seen plenty of pictures. Her mommy even let her have a few to herself; but it's not enough. It's not nearly enough.

All her life there've been people to tell her about her father, about what kind of man he was... is. She just wants to see for herself. She figured if she could touch some of her daddy's old belongings, he'd be much more _real_ to her. She never thought there'd be anything in his loft that could hurt her.

A bead of sweat lazily rolls down her forehead and drops into her eye. Although the sting irritates more than hurts her, she cries even harder. Sweating is another thing she's never done before, and the fact that she's too hurt to even wipe it from her eyes makes her feel even more helpless.

"Grandma," she gasps.

She's not sure why. Her grandma's at The Talon. And her grandma doesn't hear as good as she does.

_What would Mommy do?_ she thinks to herself.

It's hard for her to concentrate while in so much pain, but she's absolutely determined to come up with _something_.

She lets out one of her mommy's favorite 'grown up words' and instantly regrets it. Being 'bad' is the reason she's in this mess to begin with. She begins promising no one in particular that if she finds a way to make the pain stop, she'll say no more bad words, she'll do everything her grandma says, she'll be good in school...

At the thought of school, an idea comes to her. They just had a fire safety drill and the "stop, drop, and roll" exercise is what she remembers most. It was the most fun out of the whole lesson. All the other stuff bored her. She can't get burned, and suffering from smoke inhalation is unlikely.

Using all of her might, she manages to roll herself away from the glowing rock. Just a little, but it helps some. She can breathe better at least.

Bracing her palm against the floor, she rolls over again.

Her mouth forms a complete "O" of surprise when there's suddenly nothing beneath her.

She's falling.

She'd rolled over too far.

The fall lasts no more than three seconds, but if asked, she'd swear on her life that it was more like three minutes.

She lands on her back, hitting her head hard on the ground. She shuts her eyes real tight and cries. She wants her grandma; she wants her mommy; she even wants her father. The man she's never, but is dying to meet.

She sniffles a little, bringing the crying to an abrupt stop.

Lanes don't cry.

She forces her eyes open, blinking away the rest of her tears, and then she frowns. Everything looks...funny. It's almost as if...she slowly realizes she's looking _through_ things; that it _is_ x-ray vision like she thought.

She shuts her eyes and opens them again, wanting her vision to go back to normal.

It doesn't work.

She sits up and draws her knees up against her chest. Folding her arms across her knees, she lays her forehead on top.

_What should I do now? _she wonders.

Just then, something catches her eye.

It's a ring, and it's hidden beneath the floor boards, right underneath her feet. Curiosity quickly replaces anything she'd been feeling just seconds ago.

She lifts the floor board and just as she does, her vision abruptly changes back to normal.

She blinks a couple times, trying to get used to seeing the regular way again; and then she focuses her attention on the no longer hidden ring.

She'd_ just _promised 'whoever' that she'd be good; that she'd listen to her grandmother; and her grandma's always telling her not to touch her daddy's things, but still…It looks like a really neat ring; especially because it was in such a good hiding spot.

She can't help herself.

She reaches in and grabs the ring, the need to be closer to her father making her forget all about her recent encounter with the green rock and the promises she just made.

When she puts the ring on, she has to close her eyes as an uncomfortable sensation lurks in her tummy.

It's over within seconds; but the feeling lingers for a good little while after her eyes have opened again.

She puts the ring back where she found it, not really paying attention to the fact that she has to lift the floor board again. She doesn't even notice the other ring hidden there. All she knows is that she is _never_ going to touch her daddy's things again.

They aren't fun toys.


	2. Chapter 2

There's a loud crash and the earth shakes just a little. It's not normal, not like an earthquake. It seems to have come from inside the house and that would be bad; very bad. The little girl rushes inside, hoping her grandma didn't have an accident…or that something worse didn't happen.

"Grandma?" She calls.

No answer. Instead, she hears voices from upstairs. It makes her frown. There are two of them. A man and a woman. Neither voice is familiar to her.

She runs upstairs. The voices are coming from her room, which used to be her daddy's old bedroom. Quietly, she opens the door and gasps at what she sees.

He's here. In the bed…with some lady.

"_Daddy?_"

It's the first time she's been able to use the word. It feels good; right.

He and the lady jump apart, covering themselves up at the same time.

"Hi...Hey um...sweetie. How...how'd you get in here?" Her daddy stutters.

"You know her?" The pretty lady whispers.

"No," he whispers back.

"I can't find Grandma," the little girl says, ignoring them both and plopping down onto the bed. "How'd you break the bed?"

Both adults' faces grow red as they realize they're not exactly in kid friendly attire.

"Sweetie uh... pea?" her daddy starts off but then the lady beside him snorts.

"Sweetie Pea?" she teases him.

The little girl scowls at the lady. Her daddy wasn't talking to _her_.

Her daddy scowls at the lady too before turning his attention back on to the child who is currently staring at him, waiting for him to finish whatever he has to say.

"Could you turn around for a second?" he asks.

"A second?"

"Uh...not literally...just count to five, okay?"

"Okay. One, two"-

"Okay, you can look now."

"I'm not done yet. Three, four, five."

The little girl turns back around, facing her father and ignoring the lady next him.

"Can you help me find Grandma now?" she asks him.

"Sure, what's your grandmother's name?" he asks immediately. Getting the small child back to her family where she belongs has just become his primary priority.

"Grandma," she answers, fighting the urge to tact a "duh" to the end. This _is_ her first time meeting her father after all. She needs to make a good impression.

"No honey," the lady laughs a little before approaching the child and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "What does everyone else call your grandma?"

The little girl shrugs out of the lady's grasp and hides behind her father. She doesn't want _her _touching her.

"Clark," the lady frowns. "I don't think she likes me very much."

"Nonsense Lana, she's just shy. She doesn't even know who you are," Clark replies immediately.

The little girl peeks out from behind her father's back. She _does _know who the lady is.

"You're Lana Lang," she says accusingly, pointing a small finger at her.

Both Clark and Lana raise an eyebrow in surprise; but it's Lana who speaks first.

"How'd you"-

"Someone's coming," the little girl interrupts with a shout as she runs over to the window, hoping her grandma has come home.

Cark follows after her and looks out the window as well. What he sees makes him frown.

"There's no one there," he says to the little girl.

"I didn't say someone was _there_. I _said_ someone is _coming_," the child replies with half an eye roll. She's still trying to make that good impression.

Clark and Lana exchange a brief glance with each other. Then a small shrug.

"There!" the little girl exclaims suddenly.

Lana walks over to the window and stands beside Clark when she sees the way he's is looking through it. Sure enough, a maroon SUV has made its way onto the property.

"It's Aunt Chloe!" the little girl squeals excitedly. She's not her grandma, but she could take her to her. "Aunt Chloe's here!" the child repeats while hopping up and down a few times. She tries to run downstairs to greet her but as she passes her father he grabs her arm.

"Wait. How'd you know someone was coming?" Clark asks.

"I heard the car," she answers, shocked by the look on his face. It's almost as if he's mad at her and she didn't even do anything yet!

"What do you mean you _heard _the car?" he asks while unconsciously tightening his grip on her arm.

"Owwww. Let go!" She yells before snatching her arm away from him and pushing him with the other hand.

Clark's eyes grow large as he stumbles backward. The little girl is strong. Too strong. She runs out of the room, a lot faster than a normal human should be able to; and he follows after her, Lana hot on his heels.

Chloe barely makes it into the house before the small child launches herself at her with an enthusiastic, "Aunt Chloe!".

"Umph," Chloe grunts as the she gets the wind knocked out of her by the little girl.

"Whoa, kiddo. Slow down," is what she says. She was going to say a whole lot more than that, like "who are you?" when the child interrupts her.

"I want my Grandma. Please take me to her," the child wails.

"Okay but"-

Chloe stops in the middle of her sentence when she notices the child is rubbing her arm.

"Hey sweetie, what's wrong with your arm?" she asks before shifting the small child to a more comfortable place on her hip so that she can take a better look. There aren't any bruises, but she can tell the child is in pain.

"He did it," the little girl sniffs and points behind her; making Chloe look up at her best friend, Clark.

"Why didn't you tell me, Chloe?" Clark growls at the woman holding the child.

"Tell you what, Clark? That you should be careful with small children? I thought that was one you already knew," Chloe rebuttals.

"Not that."

Chloe looks past Clark at the sound of her other best friend's voice.

"Lana? Hi. I didn't know you were here," she greets the woman. She's not really surprised to see her here; not really surprised at all.

"Why didn't you tell Clark he has a child?" Lana asks, ignoring her friend's greeting.

"Hey, we don't know if-" Clark tries, but he's cut off by Lana.

"Come on Clark, she's strong, she can run fast, and she looks just like you," she interrupts accusingly.

Chloe lifts the little girl up a little so she can get a better look at her face.

"Wow. She really does look like you Clark. Exactly like-" Wisely, she doesn't finish her sentence when she catches the look on Lana's face out of the corner of her eye.

"Aunt Chloe, can you take me to Grandma now?"

"Uh…_Aunt_ Chloe?" Chloe gulps. No wonder her friends thought she knew about the child's existence. "Sure...um, just let me talk to Cla- _Daddy_ in the other room first."

She puts the child down and focuses her attention on her friend. "Clark?" she nods her head in the direction of the kitchen, expecting him to meet her there. Now.

"No! Don't leave me in here with her," the little girl shouts while pointing at Lana.

"Who? Lana?" Chloe frowns.

The child nods her head vigorously.

"She's not gonna hurt you, sweetie."

"She hurts Daddy," she pouts; making everyone's eyebrows jump.

"That's what you and Mommy said," she continues. "You said she makes Daddy sick, and she hurts him whenever she's around."

"I didn't...I never-" Chloe stutters.

"You said that. You did!" the child tells her aunt. She has a _very _good memory.

Clark and Lana stare daggers at Chloe. She ignores them and addresses the child instead.

"Honey, Lana is my best friend. I _know_ she's not gonna hurt Clark, or you."

"Yeah, and Daddy's best friend used to be Lex Luther, he would _never_ hurt anyone," the child replies sarcastically while rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. Her mommy says that to her a lot; just like that. With the eye roll and everything; especially about her best friend, Pepper. Her mommy doesn't like Pepper that much. She says she's an evil little monster. The little girl doesn't think Pepper's evil. At least, Pepper can't be any eviler than her Aunt Chloe's best friend, Lana. Pepper hasn't ever hurt the girl before, _or_ made her sick.

Chloe smirks at the child, instantly deciding that she likes her. She's possibly the cutest thing Chloe has ever seen.

_Too bad Lois doesn't like kids,_ she thinks to herself. She just knows that the little girl and her cousin would definitely hit it off.

Clark takes a few steps toward the child. "What's your mommy's name?" he asks, trying for a different approach.

She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Wait, let me guess; Mommy?" he offers.

She flashes a you're-catching-on smile his way.

"Clark," Chloe whispers out of the side of her mouth. "Ask her what _her _name is."

"Why can't you?" he whispers back.

"Because I'm her _Aunt_ Chloe. I should already know her name."

"Well I'm her-"

"My name is Jo'an," the little girl says with a frown. "I can hear you, you know."

"She's got super-hearing? Already?" Chloe Whispers a bit excitedly to Clark.

"I heard that too," Jo'an confirms.

"Wow. How old are you? Five?" Chloe asks.

"Six."

"Wow," she says again. "Your daddy didn't get super-hearing until he was about fifteen."

"Aunt Kara says girls mature faster than boys," Jo'an shrugs.

Clark scowls. He can remember his cousin saying the very same thing to him.

"Aunt Kara?" Lana frowns abruptly.

Everyone turns their attention to her. She'd been quiet for quite some time and frankly her presence had been forgotten.

"Kara Kent?" she continues, focusing her attention on Clark. "Kara hasn't even been here for two years yet."

"So?" Clark inquires.

Chloe rolls her eyes at him. He has amazing abilities, but he's still a little slow on the uptake most of the time.

"Jo'an's six years old, Clark," Chloe helps him out.

"Oh."

"Jo'an, What year is it?" Chloe asks the child on a hunch.

"Why?"

"Pop quiz."

Jo'an scowls. She doesn't want to answer these boring questions. She wants her Grandma; well, she'd really like her mommy right about now but she's in New York on "assignment."

"When I finish the quiz, are you gonna take me to my grandma?"

Chloe looks to Clark. Not sure if she should promise anything to the little girl. Abruptly, Lana leaves; just up and super speeds away without as much as a goodbye. Clark shoots Chloe a conflicted look. He doesn't know if he should go after her or stay with the little girl who might be his daughter. Chloe just shrugs at him. The non-verbal movement telling him that 'it's up to him'.

He decides to stay. He can talk to Lana later.

"Jo'an, huh? That's a pretty name," Chloe comments, changing the subject. There's really no need to confirm her hunch. She's 99.9% percent it's correct.

"Aunt Kara named me after Daddy's fathers," Jo'an shrugs.

Clark frowns. "But, my father's name isn't Jo'an. It's-"

"Jonathan Kent and Jor-El, of the house of El," Jo'an interrupts. She already knows her Grandpas' names.

Chloe and Clark both stare at her, mouths hanging open.

She sighs. She's heard the story a million times. Aunt Kara says it's important. And it may be; but it's also boring, like her mommy says. She scowls at them and takes a deep breath. She doesn't want to hear the story again; not even if it's coming from her own mouth.

"J-O- apostrophe- A-N," she begins to recite. "The _first_ two letters, J and O, are the same first two letters of Daddy's _first_ father's name; _Jor-El_. The _last _two letters, A and N are the last two letters of Daddy's _last_ father's name; _Jonathan_. All of the other letters harmoniously coexist inside of the apostrophe," Jo'an finishes.

"Did she just say harmoniously coexist?" Chloe whispers to Clark. He in turn just nods his head.

Jo'an sighs and smacks her forehead with the palm of her hand. How many times does she have to explain to her Aunt Chloe that she can hear her?

"That's the way Aunt Kara tells the story to me," Jo'an explains away her use of the big words impatiently. "Mommy says it's all mumbo jumbo; but she said yes because her middle name is Jo'an like mine, just spelled different," she concludes.

Chloe covers her mouth and gasps; but not before the words "oh boy" slipped through her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I'd just like to thank everyone for their kind reviews. They always make me smile. Always.

I don't know if this helps; but I post every four days. Sometimes, I can finish a chapter in a day; Sometimes, it can take me a week. So, I'm trying to space things out evenly so in case of a writer's block, (I'm prone to many of them; I did warn you that I'm slightly retarded before) you guys won't have to suffer with me. So, Today is Friday. I will post again on Tuesday; then again on Saturday, and so on, and so forth. Unless I die or something.

Also, for the purpose of this fanfic, Lois and Clark's almost kiss at Chloe's wedding **NEVER** happened. They're nowhere near attracted to one another; yet.

Enjoy!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"What do you mean, 'oh boy'?" Clark asks Chloe suspiciously.

"Nothing. I think Jo'an's thirsty. Are you thirsty Jo'an?"

Jo'an shakes her head. She _just _had a Pepsi.

"That's what I thought. Let's go get you something from the kitchen," Chloe says quickly before grabbing Jo'an by the hand and practically dragging her into the kitchen. Clark follows behind them immediately. He's not _that_ slow.

As fast as she possibly can, Chloe buries her head in the refrigerator, looking for the lemonade that's sitting right in front of her face.

"You know who she is, don't you?" Clark accuses.

"Know who _who _is?" Chloe asks while still pretending to look for the drink.

"I can see you Chloe. You already know where the lemonade is."

Chloe sighs and pulls the pitcher out of the fridge. Sometimes, x-ray vision can be a huge pain in the rear.

"You know who Jo'an's mother is," he reiterates for her while taking a few steps toward her.

"Don't be silly Clark. Of course I don't know who her mother is. You don't even know who her mother is and she's _your _kid."

"Yes you do know who my mommy is, Aunt Chloe," Jo'an pipes up. "You and Mommy are-"

"Shh!" Chloe hisses sharply.

"But-"

"No buts."

"But-"

Chloe raises her eyebrows at the little girl and is surprised when the child clamps her mouth shut in submission. Albeit with a frown on her face and a seriously adorable pout on her lips; but still, it's something.

Clark redirects his attention to Jo'an before laying his hands on her small shoulders and giving her the most assuring smile he can muster up.

"It's okay. You can tell me," he says softly.

"Clark!" Chloe glares at him.

He ignores her; keeping a steady gaze on the little girl.

"I can't," Jo'an sighs. "Aunt Chloe said no."

Chloe has the urge to stick her tongue out at her best friend; but she's too old for that so she settles for a smug smile. Not that Clark sees it anyway. His eyes haven't left the child's face yet.

"But I'm your daddy. You can tell your daddy anything, right?" Clark asks with a gentle smile on his face; subliminally encouraging her that it's okay to tell him what he needs to know.

Jo'an nervously glances at her aunt; then focuses her attention on her daddy again.

"Yes, you're my daddy; but I know Aunt Chloe," she replies sadly.

Clark and Chloe wince a little, reading the unspoken 'I _don't _know you' in between the lines.

He kneels down before her so their eyes are nearly leveled. "I'm sorry," he whispers sincerely before pulling her into a tight hug.

He is sorry; but he's also a little confused. _Why _doesn't Jo'an know him?

"You should tell Mommy that you're sorry. She's still mad at you." Jo'an whispers back.

"Why is Mommy mad at me?"

_'Other than the fact that you're nowhere around in the near future?' _he sarcastically asks himself.

"Because you didn't say goodbye," she answers

Clark pulls back and looks at her. He wants so desperately to ask her about her mother again; but for such a young child she seems to know where and to whom her loyalties lie; and they're not to a man she just met a couple minutes ago. Which is unfair, he thinks bitterly to himself. Chloe just met the little girl too.

"Here you go sweetie."

Jo'an turns around and reaches for the glass of lemonade she doesn't really want. Maybe she can spill it in the sink when her aunt's not looking. But then again, that probably wouldn't work. Her daddy would see her.

Unaware of Jo'an's internal debate, Chloe bends down to talk to her face to face.

"Me and Daddy need to talk; so I need you to go sit at the table until we're done," she tells her.

"Okay," Jo'an agrees quickly. Too quickly.

"Hey," Chloe pulls on Jo'an's arm a little; causing the little girl to turn back around. "And no superhearing," she says while tugging Jo'an's ear playfully for emphasis.

"Aunt Chloeeee," the child whines. "How else am I supposed to know what you guys are talking about?"

"You're not," Chloe laughs.

"But what if it's important?" Jo'an pouts.

Chloe laughs again. She _is _the cutest thing she's ever seen.

"Your answer's still no, isn't it?" Jo'an sighs.

"Yes it is," Chloe answers before tapping her "niece" lightly on the nose.

"Damn," Jo'an mutters, causing both Clark's and Chloe's jaw to drop; and stay dropped for a full five seconds. Then Chloe looks to Clark. She's gonna let him take this one. She is _his _kid after all.

"Did you…did you just say a bad word?" Clark asks a few more seconds later.

"No," Jo'an answers quickly.

"Jo'an," Clark warns.

"Mommy says it's a _baby_ bad word and I'm her baby."

"Yeah, but is that the way Mommy said it? Or did you take two different things Mommy said and put them together just now?" Chloe asks.

Jo'an looks down at her shoes, suddenly finding the pattern she's seen a million times interesting.

"Jo," Chloe inquires.

"I might've put them together myself, like you said," Jo'an sighs.

"Uh-huh, and do you ever say _baby _bad words in front of Mommy?"

Jo'an shakes her head slowly. "No ma'am."

"And what do you think Mommy would do if she knew?"

Tears start to well up in the child's eyes and her bottom lip starts to tremble. "Are you going to tell her?" she sobs.

_Awww, _Chloe can't help but to think to herself.

"No, not this time; but no more bad words okay? Not even baby ones."

"Okay," Jo'an grins suddenly and places an impulsive kiss on Chloe's lips before skipping away. Normally, she doesn't get out of trouble _that _easily.

Chloe smiles after the child, knowing she'd just been tricked but also not caring. The kid's just like her mother.

"Chloe," Clark's voice breaks her out of her musings as soon as Jo'an's out of sight.

"I don't think it's such a good idea Clark," Chloe answers, knowing he's still inquiring about Jo'an's mother.

"But-"

"Clark, Jo'an's your daughter. From the _future_," Chloe explains.

He just stares at her. He's already figured that much out.

Chloe sighs.

"She's from the future _and _Lana's not her mother," she explains further.

Clark runs a hand through his hair. He can't believe he missed that.

"What we need to do, is figure out how she got _here, _and then figure out a way to send her back," Chloe continues quickly. Since Jo'an seems to favor her mother, personality-wise; there's no way a glass of lemonade is going to hold her attention very long; despite the fact that she just promised not to eavesdrop.

"How are we going to do that without asking her?"

"We _are _going to have to ask her; just very carefully. You might want to let me do the talking," Chloe adds as an afterthought. She waits until he agrees before making her way toward the little girl.

They smile when they see her. The lemonade's nearly gone, her eyes are squeezed shut, her fingers are stuffed into her ears, and she's humming to herself."

"Is she singing White Snake?" Clark leans over and whispers to Chloe with a frown. If Chloe is Aunt Chloe, then Lois must be Aunt Lois; and she seems to have taken it upon herself to influence his child's taste in music.

Chloe ignores Clark and his disapproving frown; opting to manually unplug the little girl's ears instead.

"Finally!" Jo'an exclaims.

"Sweetie, what were you doing before you came in the house and met your daddy?" Chloe asks.

The little girl rolls her eyes and groans.

"I thought I was _done_ with the pop quiz."

"Well, you're not. And try not to leave anything out. I'll know if you do."

"How?"

"I just will."

"You always say that."

"And yet you keep asking me that," Chloe quickly rebuttals, glad for the opening that just presented itself.

Jo'an looks down at the table and nervously begins tracing random patterns with her index finger.

"I might've been in Daddy's loft," she says quietly.

"By yourself?" Chloe asks, while trying to keep her tone light.

"I might've snuck away from Grandma when she wasn't looking," the child admits.

"Jo'an!" Clark exclaims, causing her to flinch a little.

"What did you do in Daddy's loft?" Chloe interrupts Clark and flashes him a disapproving look. Didn't he agree to let her do the talking?

"I was just looking at his stuff. That's all."

"And what did you see?"

"Pictures...books...and a box."

"What was in the box?"

"Maybe I didn't look in it?"

"Maybe you did?" Chloe mimics.

"A green rock," Jo'an frowns at the memory of the way it made her feel.

"Did it hurt you?"

Jo'an nods her head. "I fell down," she whispers.

Chloe kneels down beside Jo'an and places a comforting hand over the child's much smaller one.

"And then what happened?"

Jo'an doesn't answer. She just picks up her glass of lemonade and puts it to her lips.

"Jo'an," Chloe says sternly before taking the glass away from her niece. There's barely a teaspoon left, making it obvious that the little girl isn't thirsty; she's just trying to avoid the question.

Jo'an shifts nervously in her seat.

"Answer. Now," Chloe commands.

"I might've said a 'grown up word'," Jo'an finally relents.

"Not a baby one?" Chloe asks, completely amused.

"No, a grown up one," she confesses, wiggling her foot nervously.

"Which one?" Clark frowns. He's not as amused as his best friend.

"What did you do after you said the grown up word?" Chloe shoots a glare at Clark. How are they going to get the answers they need from her if he's making her too afraid to talk?

Jo'an nearly smiles, relieved because she's not in trouble.

"I rolled over and fell again; but for a loooong time; and I hit my head, and when I opened my eyes; I had x-ray vision like you got Daddy before you fell off the rope and could see into the girls' locker room."

"How'd you know about that?" Clark exclaims in alarm.

"Aunt Chloe told us."

Clark glares at Chloe.

"What? Pete told me," she defends herself. And it's not like she told Jo'an _yet_.

"Daddy, what's a pervert?" Jo'an asks.

"What?" Clark asks in alarm.

"When Aunt Chloe told us that story, Mommy said you're a pervert, but she didn't tell me what it is."

"Well, uh-"

"You're my daddy," Jo'an says sweetly. "You can tell me anything, right?"

Chloe has to fight back the urge to laugh. The kid is truly gifted.

Clark doesn't seem to think so. He'd just said practically the same thing to Jo'an when he wanted answers from her. Now she's using it against him?

"What did you do after you got x-ray vision?" Chloe asks, deciding to rescue Clark.

"Um...I saw a ring in the ground," Jo'an shrugs as if it's no big deal.

Clark and Chloe exchange a look. It _is _a big deal. The legion ring is a _very_ big deal.

"You put it on; didn't you?" Clark asks, although he knows the answer.

"Yes, but I put it back. I promise," Jo'an says quickly; just in case he was thinking about punishing her. Maybe if he knows that she only touched his stuff for a little bit she'll get into less trouble.

"Smallville! Chloe!"

Jo'an hops down from her chair excitedly.

"Mo-"

Chloe Clamps a hand over the small child's mouth tightly, and pulls her up against her own body. Jo'an stills completely. She could easily break out of her aunt's hold; but not without the risk of hurting her. She learned that a long time ago.

Clark frowns at them; then at Lois when she enters the room.

Jo'an had almost said "Mommy." He's sure of it. But the only woman here besides "Aunt" Chloe is…is…

Slowly he shakes his head in absolute horror. There's no way...It's _impossible_...absolutely impossible.

"Lois, please, _please_, tell me your middle name isn't Joanne."


	4. Chapter 4

"Lois! Aren't you supposed to be in Star City? Why aren't you in Star City?" Chloe spits out rapidly, slightly panicked because her plan to get Jo'an back to the future without seeing her mother from the past is no longer an option. And also, she _really_ didn't want Clark to find out who Jo'an's mother is. That could have an exponential effect on the future. Negative or positive? She doesn't know; but it's not always the best idea to take chances with the future..

"Whoa," Lois puts a hand up. "First; _your _husband is no longer in Star City. They moved him to Metropolis General this morning. Second;" she turns around and faces Clark. "What the hell is wrong with Joanne?"

Clark's face falls. He's sure his invulnerable lungs have collapsed because he can't breathe. He shakes his head repeatedly, as if it will suddenly make the fact untrue.

"Exactly; nothing. It's a good name," Lois says, taking the negative shake of Clark's head as an answer to her question. "And third;" she continues before waving a hand in Chloe's direction. "You might want to loosen your grip on Smallville Junior's face there. I don't think she can breathe," she tells her cousin.

"How'd you"- Clark starts off, but Lois interrupts him.

"Please; even with half her face covered she's the spitting image of you," Lois explains; then she cocks her head to the side and asks, "How'd that happen anyway?"

"Uh…"

"Forget I asked," she quickly adds. She doesn't really need to know the details.

Chloe bends down and whispers something in Jo'an's ear. She doesn't drop her hand away from the child's face until she nods her head in understanding.

"Jeez Chloe; you made her cry," Lois hisses at her cousin. She's slightly irritated with her. Chloe knows just how uncomfortable she is with children and tears.

Jo'an sniffs and rubs her eyes with her knuckles. She didn't mean to cry. Lanes don't cry…

But she never thought her mommy would forget her. Never. She turns around, burying her face in Chloe's stomach.

"I want my mommy," she sobs.

"Where's her pacifier?" Lois asks with a roll of her eyes.

Jo'an whirl's around and glares at Lois. The tears have magically evaporated.

"I'm not a baby!" she exclaims.

"You're not?" Lois patronizes.

"No!"

"You sure? Because"-

"I"-

"Jo," Chloe says firmly while placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Jo'an clamps her mouth shut. Her aunt's right. She shouldn't yell at her mother, even if she doesn't know she's her mother anymore.

"Aunt Chloe?" Jo'an tugs on Chloe's arm a little. "I don't know what to call her," she says softly.

"I'm Lois," Her mother says as she marches up to the little girl. "Lois Lane. You can just call me Lois though. You know, as opposed to 'Aunt Lois'. Me and your daddy really aren't the best of friends like him and Chloe," she rambles before extending her right hand.

Jo'an frowns and looks up at her aunt. She doesn't want to call her mommy 'Lois'; and she'd much rather give her a hug and a kiss than a handshake.

"Go on," Chloe encourages.

Jo'an sighs loudly and looks back at her mother; then at her hand; but she still doesn't reach for it.

"I'm left handed. I shake with my left," she says sadly. Her mother should already know this about her.

"Me too. I just made it a habit to shake with my right. Most people are right handed you know."

"That's their problem," Jo'an mumbles with a shrug.

Lois raises her eyebrows at the child and Chloe pinches her shoulder. It doesn't hurt her. It never does, but she knows what it means.

"That's what you- that's what my mommy says," Jo'an corrects herself.

Lois turns a little to face Clark. She's clearly impressed. "You know Smallville; I had my doubts about this kid; but she's nothing like you. I think she'll turn out okay."

"_Lois_,"-

"Don't worry Junior," Lois says, interrupting whatever Clark's rebuttal was going to be and turning back around to face Jo'an. "That was definitely a compliment," she finishes.

Jo'an just stares at her.

"Oh, right," Lois mutters; misinterpreting the girl's gaze and switching hands. Hesitantly, Jo'an puts her tiny hand in Lois's. She barely pumps once before trying to tug her hand free from her mother's grasp.

"I didn't catch your name," Lois says, refusing to let go.

"You might not remember it if I tell you," the child answers.

Chloe pinches her on the shoulder again. It confuses Jo'an. What did she do wrong? Her aunt _just_ said that her mommy has amnesia and that means she doesn't remember her. It stands to reason that if her mommy can forget her, her baby, then she can easily forget her name even easier; right?

"Try me," Lois smirks, deciding she really likes the kid; when she's not crying at least.

"Jo'an," the child mutters while trying to tug her hand free, but Lois refuses to let go. There's no way she's gonna let a kid, _especially_ Smallville's kid, best her.

"Jo'an what?"

Jo'an frowns at her mommy; wishing she would just let her hand go.

"Your whole name; what is it?" Lois presses.

Jo'an looks up at Chloe. It makes Lois frown. She's noticed that the child does that a lot; looks to Chloe for permission for everything. Even something as simple as divulging her full name. It actually irritates her. A lot.

Chloe shrugs. What harm can it do?

"Jo'an Lane Kent," Jo'an answers her mother.

Chloe and Clark draw deep breaths and hold it. Lois doesn't; she's the first to speak up.

"What did you say your last name was?"

"Kent," Jo'an frowns. She can't have forgotten already.

"No; your _whole_ last name," Lois clarifies.

"Kent," Jo'an repeats.

"You said Lane-Kent."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Then what did you say?" Lois asks, not only tired of going back and forth with a four year old; but the child is so adamant that Lois is actually started to doubt what she heard.

Jo'an looks up at her Aunt Chloe with a frown on her face. She _hates _repeating stuff over and over.

"Stop that," Lois says irritably. "You don't need "Aunt Chloe's" permission to tell me your name kid."

Jo'an scowls at her mother; but she answers her. She tells her that her name is Jo'an Kent, purposely leaving out her middle name as a defiant and stubborn move.

Lois works her jaw a little. The kid left out the other name on purpose. She's sure of it.

"Lois, is there a reason you stopped by or"-Clark tries to stir Lois's focus away from the child; but she's not having it.

"Hold on, I'm busy," she cuts Clark off without looking his way.

"The other name, the one that you left out, what is it?" Lois asks the child while taking a few steps toward her.

Jo'an takes a few steps back, nearly hiding herself behind her aunt. She realizes she's having a "Kent moment;" that's what her uncles call it when she gets real scared of her mother even though she knows her mommy can't hurt her, but she can't help getting scared anyway.

"My middle name," she says while stepping even further behind her aunt.

"What is it?" Lois asks, pleased to be getting somewhere with the kid.

"Lane," Jo'an answers.

Lois freezes and stares at the little girl; but not for long.

"Oh my God; Smallville, I am going to _kill_ you!" she yells before turning around quickly and going after Clark.

"What? Why?" He exclaims, running away from her.

"You know exactly why!" Lois shouts as she chases him around the table a couple times causing Jo'an to giggle. Her mommy and daddy are funny.

Chloe wishes she could laugh with her niece but…

"You knocked up my little sister!" Lois growls.

"Lucy?" Clark asks before snatching Jo'an up and using her as a shield.

"Put the kid down Smallville."

"Clark!" Chloe yells. Jo'an shouldn't be put in the middle of this. Literally.

"Lois, I never…Lucy and I didn't…"

"Don't try and deny it," Lois yells, frustrated because she can't hit him without the possibility of hitting the kid. She just knew there was _something_ familiar about her. "I saw the way you two were looking at each other. I should have watched you more carefully; but _nooo_. 'This is Smallville', I said to myself. 'He doesn't even know what to do with Clark junior there', 'he's still'"-

"Lois!" Clark interrupts before she says anything else inappropriate in front of Jo'an. "That was four years ago."

"So I'm just supposed to be okay with this?"

"No. That was four years ago and Jo'an," he holds his daughter out further, as if she couldn't see her clearly before, "Is six," he concludes.

"Oh," Lois clears her throat. That makes sense.

"Who in their right mind would use a last name as a middle name anyway?" she asks to justify her actions.

"Grandma's last name used to be Clark." Jo'an says simply. That's another story she's heard a million times.

The answer shuts Lois up effectively. She likes Mrs. Kent, she wouldn't dare disrespect her.

"And my mommy likes my middle name. She says it's a good one." Jo'an continues with a pout.

"Right…so um…where _is _her mother?" Lois asks Clark a moment later; not that she particularly cares; but because there's absolutely too much silence surrounding the four of them.

"She has amnesia. I have to stay with Daddy until she remembers me," Jo'an answers, telling her mother what her aunt whispered in her ear before.

"Of course she does," Lois accepts immediately. This is Smallville after all. She clears her throat again. "Right…well; I'm going to visit Oliver at the hospital. You should come visit your husband too Chloe."

"Oliver's in the hospital? Why?" Chloe asks. She just talked to him a few minutes ago. He was on his way to an important board meeting.

"I'll explain everything to you on the way. No need to alarm Junior there," Lois nods her head in Jo'an's direction before grabbing her cousin by the hand.

"See ya Smallville. Junior."

"But I want to go with you and Aunt Chloe," Jo'an squirms until her father puts her down before running up to Chloe and grabbing the hem of her shirt.

"Junior, I think you should stay here with your Daddy," Lois says a little too sweetly.

"But I want to see Uncle Ollie too! Please Aunt Chloe?"

"Seriously?" Lois questions. "Oliver knows about her too? Am I the only one who didn't know this kid existed?"

Chloe just smiles a little and shrugs; finding it interesting that 'future' Lois's child calls her ex 'uncle'; and wondering how 'future' Clark would feel about it if he knew.

"No. Daddy met me today too," Jo'an answers.

"Wow. That makes me feel a little better. Is there anything _else_ I should know?"

Everyone, including Jo'an, look around nervously and avoid eye contact with Lois.

"Okay; Clark, we'll see you soon," Chloe says while scooping up the small child and making a beeline for the door. "Are we taking your car or mine?" Chloe calls to Lois over her shoulder.

"Oh no you don't," Lois jogs up to Chloe and stands in front of her; blocking her path.

"Come on Lois, she's getting heavy."

"Then put her down."

Chloe sighs and looks her cousin straight in the eyes.

"No Lois; there isn't anything else you need to know," She answers. It's the truth she reasons with herself. Lois doesn't _need_ to know Jo'an's her daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm not sitting in _that_," Jo'an faces her aunt and points into the backseat of the car where Lois is securing the booster seat they'd just bought.

"It's the law kid. Get in," Lois says when she finishes.

"I'll get in the car, but I'm not sitting in that _thingie_," Jo'an scowls at the seat, truly insulted by its presence.

"Just get in," Lois grunts as she places her hands under the child's pits and heaves her into the car; but Jo'an quickly climbs over the seat and settles into the spot behind the passenger seat.

"I _said_ I'm not sitting in _that_. It's for babies," Jo'an pouts.

Lois clenches her teeth together and glares back at her cousin. This kid is a nightmare; easily ten times worse than Lucy had ever _dreamed _of being as a child.

Chloe suppresses a smile and walks around to the other side of the car. As soon as she gets into the passenger seat, she turns around in her seat to face the child.

"Jo, I think you should get into the booster seat," she tells her.

"I don't want to. Why can't I just sit here? I'll wear the seat belt. The whole way, I promise Aunt Chloe. Pleeeeeeeease?"

"The booster seat is safer," Lois grinds out. "If we get into an accident, it'll protect you."

"No it won't," Jo'an rolls her eyes at her mother.

"Jo'an," Chloe warns.

"But it won't," the child answers stubbornly. She's telling the truth. Why should she get into trouble for telling the truth?

"Jo'an," Chloe pauses, not too sure if Jo'an is old enough to grasp the concept of a sentence with a double meaning. "Sometimes it's not about whether or not you're gonna get hurt. Sometimes, you just have to follow the rules. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jo'an sighs deeply and crawls into the stupid baby booster. Her mom has given her the 'you're "special," but you're not _special_' speech about a million times.

"What are you, the dog whisperer?" Lois asks Chloe while securing Jo'an into the seat.

"I'm not a dog," Jo'an scowls at Lois.

"Of course you're not," Lois smiles and pats the child on the head. Immediately, Jo'an wipes the spot of her head where her mother touched her.

"Although, sometimes you do whine like one," Lois adds under her breath as she gets into the driver's seat.

"I heard that," Jo'an glares at Lois through the rearview mirror.

"Heard what?" Lois asks innocently before starting the car.

"I don't like you," the little girl announces. She still _loves_ her mother of course, but her mommy told her she can love someone without liking them; and right now, she does _not_ like Lois Lane. She's a rude lady.

"Jo'an!" Chloe exclaims. "That's not nice."

"Well, _she's_ not nice. She said I whine like a dog. I don't whine like a dog. Do I Aunt Chloe?"

"No, you whine like your mother," Chloe says, then chuckles at her own little joke.

Jo'an scowls at her. It's not funny to her at all. She kicks her leg a little out of frustration and accidently hits the back of Lois's seat. It makes her mommy jump in surprise; and it makes Jo'an smile. She kicks the seat again; and again; but not too hard. Just hard enough for her Mommy to feel it; every time. Her smile widens when she sees her mommy clench her teeth via the rearview mirror.

"Is this bothering you?" Jo'an asks sweetly.

Lois winces at the sound of the kid's tone. It's _too _sweet. She looks at Jo'an through the rearview mirror and after seeing the smile on the kid's face, Lois gives her a phony smile of her own.

"Nope," she says. There's no way in hell Lois is going to give the kid the satisfaction of knowing she's getting to her.

"So you're not going to start _whining _like a dog?" Jo'an asks.

Chloe turns her head and stares out the window. It's the best she can do in terms of hiding her laughter from her cousin. She thought the two of them would get along because they're so much alike. It never occurred to her that they would butt heads because they're _too_ much alike.

"Nope," Lois answers.

"If you say you're sorry, I'll stop," Jo'an offers.

Lois ignores her, opting to turn the radio on rather than answer the child. There is no way in hell she's apologizing to the little brat either.

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders, clearly a nonverbal gesture meaning 'suit yourself' and continues to kick the back of Lois's seat. It's driving Lois completely insane; but it's a three hour drive. And Jo'an's a six year old. She'll get tired and stop eventually.

But she doesn't. For three freaking hours, Jo'an maintains that steady rhythm with her foot. If Lois wasn't so irritated with the kid, she'd admit to herself that she's actually impressed with the child's stamina; and also, her singing along to the White Snake CDs was kinda cute; but other than that, the kid is evil. Pure evil.

Before Lois is fully parked, Jo'an is out of the car.

"Come on Aunt Chloe!" The child exclaims as she runs over to her aunt's door and opens it for her. "Hurry up!"

Chloe's response is a laugh; Lois's response is verbal.

"We're coming, just calm down before you wet your diaper," she says.

Jo'an looks back and narrows her eyes at Lois. "I'm. not. A. baby."

Lois just shrugs, she's not going to argue with the child; anymore. Today. Maybe.

The little girl impatiently pulls her aunt by the arm, practically dragging her.

_Humans are so slow,_ she thinks to herself as she marches in front of the two women.

Finally, after all the long elevator rides, and all the boring talk with the ladies at the counters, they make it to her uncle's room.

"Uncle Ollie!" Jo'an squeals as jumps into the bed with him.

"Whoa, Jo-ey" Oliver grunts. "Uncle Ollie's in the hospital; which means, I'm hurt," he adds quickly while hoping the child doesn't realize he got her name wrong. He doesn't remember what it is. It could be Josephine, Jordan, Joy, Joanna, Josie, or even Jolie. All he remembers is it starts with a "Jo."

"Oops, sorry," Jo'an apologizes while carefully removing her arms from around her uncle's neck. "You know Mommy hates it when you call me Joey."

"She does?" Oliver frowns, not believing his luck. Apparently the child _had_ noticed his mishap; but it looks like it wasn't actually a mishap. It's her nickname, one that he's given her and Lois hates.

He can work with that.

"Uh huh, she says it's a boy's name," Jo'an answers.

"Is that right?"

Jo'an nods her head. "Yep."

"Well, can I tell you a secret?"

Jo'an grins and puts her ear close to her uncle's mouth.

"Mommy has amnesia," He whispers loud enough for everyone to hear. "She doesn't even _remember _that she hates it when I call you Joey."

Jo'an giggles and looks back at Lois. He's right. She doesn't remember.

"Why don't you and Lois go get a snack?" Chloe asks Jo'an. "I have to talk to Uncle Ollie real quick."

"But, I don't want to go with her," Lois and Jo'an say at the same time.

"Wow," Oliver whispers looking from Jo'an to Lois then back at Jo'an.

"I know," Chloe agrees.

"Wow," He says again while looking up to Chloe who is now standing beside him. At first glance, the two look nothing alike. Joey, he's still not sure of the child's name, is the spitting image of Clark; but in terms of personality, well, that's all Lane.

"I just got here," Jo'an whines.

"It'll just be a few minutes Jo, I promise," Chloe tries.

"But"-

"Quit your whining kid and let's go," Lois grumbles. Oliver and Chloe's little meeting better be super quick. Or else.

Jo'an stubbornly crosses her arms over her chest. She'd rather go outside by herself than go to Disney World with her mother right now.

Lois raises her eyebrows at the stubborn little brat. "Now," she commands.

"Go on Jo," Chloe whispers too low for Lois to hear.

"Fine," Jo'an hops down from the bed and scowls at her aunt, "but I _really _don't like her."

"Duly noted," Lois tosses over at Jo'an and opens the door for her. Jo'an doesn't move.

"One snack," she says while holding up her index finger.

Chloe smiles down at her niece, understanding the child is trying to give them a time limit; and a very short one at that.

"Okay, but make it chips and eat them slowly," she agrees. She doesn't really need more than a few minutes anyway.

Jo'an steps on her tippy toes, leaning in to give her uncle a goodbye kiss.

"Oh for heaven's sake, you're gonna see them again in just a few minutes," Lois scoffs.

Jo'an ignores her mother, giving her aunt a goodbye kiss as well before starting toward the door.

"That's if I don't strangle you first," Lois finishes under her breath.

"I heard that," Jo'an says as she walks past her mother. She's not particularly worried about her mother's threats. She never really means _those _kinds of threats; and even if Lois did mean what she said, she couldn't physically strangle the child anyway.

"Maybe you should stop listening so hard to everything I say," Lois mutters behind her.

"Maybe you should talk quieter," Jo'an retorts without looking behind her. If she did however, she would've seen Lois strangling an imaginary Jo'an.

"What kind of chips do you want?" Lois asks the real Jo'an when she's done with the fake one.

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders. She doesn't care. She's much more interested in what her aunt has to say to her uncle than a bag of chips. She has to concentrate a little harder than usual due to all the hospital noises; and her mother.

"There's Doritos, fritos, pretzels, cheetos,…."

"_I take it Clark zipped by and gave you a heads up?"_

Jo'an smiles. It's Aunt Chloe.

"Salt and vinegar it is."

Jo'an frowns at Lois's back. She hates salt and vinegar.

"_Yep. You know, I could believe Clark's kid came from the future to see him. I could believe she put on a ring and that's how she got here. But when he told me Lois was the kid's mother, I figured he was pulling my leg or I was hallucinating. I was pretty sure I was in one of those 'you will receive three visitors', Ebenezer Scrooge, dreams."_

"_Ollie," Chloe snorts in amusement._

"_Seriously, do you know how much morphine I'm on?"_

"Done already Junior?" Lois asks, startling the little girl.

Everything makes sense to Jo'an now. When she put on the ring, she time travelled. _Backwards._ That's why her mommy doesn't know her anymore. That's why her daddy's here instead of with the Kandorians.

"Earth to Smallville Junior," Lois waves a hand in front of Jo'an's face.

Jo'an blinks at Lois, then smiles. All she has to do is put the ring on again and she'll be with her mommy. The one who knows who she is.

"Can I have another bag of chips please?"

Lois raises her eyebrows, not fully trusting the kid's abrupt change in attitude towards her.

"Please," Jo'an repeats.

"What do you want?" Lois asks slowly, still a little suspicious.

"Cheetos."

As soon as Lois turns her back, Jo'an races off to the farm. She's going home.


	6. Chapter 6

Jo'an Lane Kent has to be quiet. She has to be sneaky. She has to be quick. She has to become Lois Joanne Lane, ace reporter, following the lead to a headlining story. But better; because her daddy and Lana Lang are in the loft; and they both have superhearing.

"Who is she?" Jo'an hears Lana say.

"Lana, that's not important," her daddy says.

Good. They don't know she's here. Now all she has to do is concentrate on getting to the secret hiding place. Then she can go home; to her real family. It should be easy enough. Her daddy's not paying enough attention to anything but Lana right now anyway.

"Clark, you have a child sometime in the near future who isn't _mine_ as well. You don't think that's important?" Lana counters. She doesn't understand how he can be so calm about this. Doesn't he know what _this _means?

Clark is silent for awhile, carefully trying to figure out how to answer her.

"Do you know what this means?" she continues, feeling the need to explain it to him. Because if he truly knows what it means, yet he's not freaking out as bad as she is, then maybe he's having doubts about her; about _them_.

"Yes Lana I do, but the important thing is you're still alive now. I still have time to make sure nothing happens to you," is Clark's response. He says it as gently, but also as firmly, as he possibly can so that he doesn't scare her with the prospect of her near future death. He's got time to fix that.

"Clark," Lana lays a hand on Clark's arm and smiles gently. The fact that Clark thinks she is going to die makes her feel better instantly. It lets her know he believes that's the _only _reason they wouldn't be together.

"Your," she pauses; unable to say 'your daughter' out loud. "Jo'an said I _make _you sick, not _made_. She used the present tense of the word," Lana explains.

Clark frowns at her. Jo'an did say 'makes' instead of made. What does that mean?

"Dammit," Jo'an mutters. She wasn't talking about her daddy. She was barely paying attention to her daddy. She put all of her concentration into being quiet enough to get to the secret hiding place…but it's not there anymore. The ring that was supposed to take her home is gone!

"What are you doing here?" Lana just pops out of nowhere and asks Jo'an a little harsher than necessary. She didn't really mean to. It's not the child's fault; but her very presence is a reminder of how She and Clark aren't going to last.

Jo'an ignores the woman and focuses her attention on her father.

"You took it, didn't you?" She accuses.

"Where're Chloe and Lois?" Clark asks suspiciously.

"Give it to me," Jo'an demands and holds her tiny hand out.

"Give what to you?"

"The ring!" Jo'an shouts impatiently. She's starting to understand why her grown ups get so irritated when she does this to them. It's annoying and all she wants is one teeny tiny itsy bitsy little thingie. A ring that travels backwards and forwards through time. Well, she's not sure it will travel forward and take her back to her real mommy; but she's definitely willing to give it a try.

"They're still at the hospital; aren't they?" Clark gasps. "Jo'an, you shouldn't have"-

"I want to go home!" She interrupts him, cutting to the chase. "I want _my _mommy!"

"Jo'an, maybe you should just"- Lana butts in.

"_Maybe_ you're not my mommy, so you can't tell me to _maybe _do anything!" she shouts back at Lana. She _really_ doesn't like her. She doesn't like anyone who hurts her family. And even though she just met her daddy today, he's still part of her family.

"Jo'an!" Clark exclaims. He's had some experience with children before. A couple were a little misguided; but for the most part, they were all good natured. He's never dealt with a child who was just hot tempered before.

"It's okay Clark," Lana holds one hand up.

Jo'an nearly flinches. She's sure Lana's not going to hit her; especially not in front of her daddy, but the face she's making is almost as bad as the one her mommy makes when she's mad. Almost.

Jo'an straightens up immediately, an idea coming to her. She's never been allowed to hit anyone before. Not children, not adults; but if Lana Lang is going to hit her, she's going to hit her back. Hard.

Clark's phone rings, startling everyone.

Jo'an gets to it first. He left it closest to her. Not on purpose; he just left it lying around and she happened to be closest to it; and before Clark could get to it she'd already pressed "talk" and put the phone up to her ear.

"Clark, I can't find"-

"Hi Aunt Chloe," Jo'an says brightly.

"Jo'an?"

"It's the kid?" Jo'an hears her mommy ask in the background before she snatches the phone from her aunt.

"Junior!"

"Ma'am," she answers automatically to the sound of her mother's angry voice.

"Wait 'til I see you, you're in so much- you know what, just put your father on the phone," she concludes.

Jo'an pulls the phone away from her ear and walks up to her daddy. "Mommy wants to talk to you," she smiles sweetly at Lana before handing the phone over to her father.

He gaps at her, then at the phone, then at Lana. He's sure the little girl did that on purpose.

"Smallville! I know you're there!"

Clark brings the phone up to his ear, apologizing to Lana with his eyes.

"Lan- Lois?"

Great now he almost called Lois by Lana's name.

"Where are you!" Lois yells. She's using the very same tone Jo'an had been using with him before when she wanted the ring.

"We're uh… we're downstairs," Clark lies.

"Downstairs where?"

"Uh…look Lois; we'll meet you upstairs in just a few minutes. Okay? Bye," he answers before hanging up the phone.

"But I wanted to talk to mommy," Jo'an whines.

Clark ignores her, staring warily at Lana instead. He's in much more trouble with her.

"Lois? You and _Lois_?" Lana hisses.

"Lana, I didn't…I'm sure it was an accident."

"I'm not an accident!" Jo'an rebukes her father.

Clark closes his eyes. That did _not _come out right.

"Come on Daddy, we have to go see _Mommy_," Jo'an says and watches in amusement as Lana works her jaw from side to side.

"Stop calling her that," Clark snaps, noticing the look on Lana's face as well.

Jo'an cocks her head to the side; wondering how Lana's going to react to what she says next.

"But she is my mommy."

"Just don't call her that. Not this Lois."

Jo'an turns around to face her father.

"Then send me home," she says simply. Because it is simple. If her daddy sends her home, to her old mommy, then she won't have to call her new mommy "Mommy." It's not like she's going to ever call either one of them Lois.

"Jo'an," Clark grabs the little girl by her arms slightly panicked. "Under no circumstance are you to call _this _Lois "Mommy.""

Jo'an stares straight into her father's eyes and places her hands onto his shoulder. She's just as serious as he is. "Then. Send. Me. Home. To. _My_. Mommy."

Clark takes a deep breath. He can't believe a six year old, _his _six year old, is giving him an ultimatum. What's he supposed to do? Give her the ring and hope she makes it back to her time safely. That had been Jor-El's answer anyway.

He has to think of a better way.

He's so lost in his thoughts, he doesn't even realize his phone is ringing again until Jo'an snatches it from him.

"I'll get it," Jo'an says and rolls her eyes at her father. It has to be her mommy. They should've left when she said so, but nooo. Nobody ever listens to the kid.

"No Jo'an don't" - Clark calls when he finally realizes what's going on. But he's too late.

"Hello?" Jo'an answers.

"Where the hell are you two?"

"I had to use the bathroom. We're on our way to the elevator now."

"Which one?"

"I don't know. There are lots of them," Jo'an answers and hangs up.

She smiles and hands the phone back to her father.

He frowns at her in return.

"You lied," he says.

"Is that bad?" Jo'an frowns. All she did was say that she had to go to the bathroom. She always says that when she goes somewhere she doesn't exactly have permission to go to. Her mommy knows that. At least, her real mommy does anyway.

"Yes Jo'an. Lying is bad," Clark answers; but if he's completely honest with himself, it's not really the lying that alarmed him. It was how _good _she was at it. She's just a child.

"So we should tell Mommy that she doesn't have amnesia and that I came from the future; right?" If lying is so bad, then why did her Aunt Chloe tell her that her mommy has amnesia when she really doesn't? And why did her daddy tell her mommy that they're downstairs when they're really in Smallville?

Clark's face falls, letting Jo'an know she's stumped him.

She grins back at him. Boy does she like being right; especially when she's more right than a grown up.

"Daddy, how long does the elevator take? 'Cause I don't think it takes _this_ long and _Mommy's _going to be even madder with you for lying because _you're_ the one who told her that we're downstairs and we're not really downstairs; and _you're _the one who said lying is bad, Lana do you want to come see my daddy get in trouble by my mommy," Jo'an finishes all in one breath.

Clark quickly grabs Jo'an and starts toward the hospital. There must've been red K present when she was conceived. He's almost sure of it. No child should act like this; no matter how much of Lois they have in them.

They make it to the hospital within seconds. It's too soon as far as Clark is concerned.

"There you are!" Chloe exclaims. She's not relieved to see them because she was worried. Once Jo'an answered Clark's phone, she knew the little girl was safe. She's relieved to see them because Lois has been driving her completely _insane_.

"Aunt Chloe!" Jo'an skips over to the woman as if she hasn't seen her in days. "Daddy's in a lot of trouble isn't he?"

"So are you young lady. You're the one who zoomed off while Lois was watching you," Chloe answers.

"You said Mommy doesn't even know I can _zoom_," Jo'an says suspiciously. Her aunt also told her not to _zoom_, or do anything _special_, in front of her mommy until she gets her memory back. Which now she understands means _never_ because her mommy didn't really forget her; she's just with the wrong mommy.

"Yeah, well, _I_ know you can zoom; so, you're still in trouble," Chloe says.

"But it was important," Jo'an hisses.

"I'll bet it was," Chloe chuckles. The child really is like her mother.

"Kent!"

Jo'an hides behind her aunt at the sound of her mother's angry voice; but is relieved when she stops in front of her daddy and doesn't pay any attention to her.

"The next time you go brat snatching, let a girl know!"

Jo'an almost interrupts her mother to tell her she isn't a brat; but thinks better of it. Drawing attention to herself at a time like this wouldn't be wise.

"God Smallville, could you be anymore irresponsible?"

"I'm sorry Lois, It won't happen again," her daddy says and it makes Jo'an laugh. It's so funny to see how afraid her father is of her mother.

"And you!" Lois says abruptly, turning on Jo'an. "Get from behind her."

Jo'an gulps. Her mother wants her to step away from her aunt? She's not dumb enough to do that. As long as she's behind her aunt, her mommy can't kill her. That's just common sense. And Jo'an's got a lot of that.

When the child doesn't move, Chloe steps aside and lays a reassuring hand on her head. Jo'an scoots closer to her and wraps a hand around her thigh, hugging herself to her aunt.

"How hard would it have been to tap me on the shoulder and say, 'Lois, I'm going with my daddy'; huh?"

"Not hard"-

"I was worried sick. Do you have any idea how many times I've been up and down this hall looking for you?"

"You were worried about me?" Jo'an brightens a little. Maybe this mommy isn't so bad after all. Well, she's still not that good; but maybe she's not _so _bad.

"What? No, I just…I was just worried about what your dad would say if I lost you," she covers, not wanting the kid to get the wrong idea. She's stubborn, and a smartass, and annoying, and to top it all off, she looked just like her father; making her a _complete _nightmare for Lois. But that doesn't mean she wants anything bad to happen to her. She's still just a kid after all.

"I don't believe you," Jo'an narrows her eyes at her mother. "You're not even afraid of Daddy."

"Well," Lois pauses. The kid has a point. "Fine, I was worried about you," she admits. "You are Smallville's kid after all. God knows he's not the smartest bulb in the lantern."

Jo'an frowns and tugs on Chloe's jeans. "I thought _candles_ go in lanterns, not light bulbs," She whispers.

"Why don't we go see my husband now?" Chloe says to try and keep from laughing before grabbing Jo'an's hand and heading toward his room.

"You're going the wrong way," Jo'an frowns.

"No we're not," Lois answers.

"Yes we are."

"No we're not."

"Lois is right," Chloe decides to interrupt the two. Who knows how long they would've been able to keep that up? "Jimmy's room is this way, see?"

_Jimmy?_ Jo'an wonders. She thought Jimmy was…

"James Olson," she reads the name on the door aloud when they stop in front of it; then she takes off. She runs down the hallway; nearly crashing into nurses, dodging patients in wheel chairs; and ignoring the many voices calling her name. She can't go in that room. Can't look at him. Jimmy Olson is dead…is going to die. He gets killed by…

Jo'an stops in her tracks, standing absolutely still.

_Him._


	7. Chapter 7

She wasn't supposed to see the tape. It was in her aunt's room; hidden, and it was hidden very well. She just _had _to see why. She wouldn't be a Lane if she had just left it there in its really good hiding place.

It started out okay; but it was mostly boring. It was a wedding. Who's? She couldn't tell right away. She recognized the farm, the barn, her parents, and her Aunt Chloe. _She _was the one getting married; but not to her uncle. Jo'an didn't know who the man on the tape was; had never seen him before; had never even _heard_ of him before.

It wasn't until her aunt and the man began to cut the cake that things got interesting. And not in a good way. A part of the roof caved in; people started running and screaming; and a monster was suddenly there.

She should have turned it off. But she didn't. She watched the whole thing. It gave her nightmares. About a month's worth. They probably would've gone on for longer than that if her mother hadn't been so worried about her. She made Jo'an tell her about the bad dreams; and the tape. And then together, she and Aunt Chloe told her everything she needed to know about the monster named Davis Bloom. Well, not _everything_; but they told her a lot about "the beast".

And now he's in front of her. Not even twenty feet away.

He stares at her curiously; like she looks familiar.

Jo'an doesn't want to look familiar. She wants to go home. She wants her mommy.

"Mommy," Jo'an whispers and slowly takes a step back. "Please help me." she whimpers quietly, closing her eyes and hoping he'll just leave her be. This man killed people. Lots of people. He killed Jimmy, the man on the tape. He took her aunt away. He hurt her daddy. He was supposed to _kill _her daddy. What is he going to do to her?

"Are you lost?" The man says.

Jo'an's eyes fly open and she notices right away that he's gotten closer. She shakes her head slowly as an answer to his question and takes a couple more steps back. Big ones.

"You wouldn't happen to be related to Clark Kent by any chance?" he asks.

Jo'an shakes her head again. She's lying; but she doesn't care if her daddy thinks it's bad. She doesn't want this man near her father either.

"Junior!" Lois angrily grabs Jo'an by the arm and yanks her around to face her. "What the hell did I _just _say about running off!

"Mommy!" Jo'an sobs and wraps her arms around Lois's neck. Lois freezes, holding the little girl at a distance by her waist.

"Smallville, why is she…she's crying," Lois frowns. At first, she thought the kid was just putting on an act to keep from getting into trouble; but she's shaking. Bad. And the tears are genuine; making Lois more than uncomfortable. She's never been good with crying; or children. Put them together and she's definitely at a loss.

"Davis. Hi," Chloe greets the man a little less friendly than she usually does. The last time she saw him, he'd kissed her and begged her not to marry Jimmy. "What's going on?"

"I think she got lost," Davis gestures toward the little girl.

"Junior? Let go," Lois grunts while reaching behind her neck, trying to loosen the child's grip on her.

"No!" Jo'an tightens her hold on her mother and buries her face into her neck. "Don't let him get me. Please."

"Don't let who get you?" Lois asks while picking the child up. Her back's beginning to hurt. She makes up the excuse for her own benefit, not willing to admit even to herself just how concerned she is by the kid's behavior.

Clark walks over to them and touches Jo'an's arm.

"I should take her home," he says. He tries to take her from Lois; but he can't. Jo'an refuses to let go of her mother.

"I think she's in shock Clark. You should let me treat her," Davis volunteers while reaching for the child.

"No!" Jo'an screams and wraps her legs tightly around Lois's waist.

"Actually," Lois snatches Jo'an from both Davis and Clark's reach. They're just making everything worst and if the kid squeezes her any tighter she'll have both a broken wind pipe and a dislocated hip. "I think Junior here just needs some fresh air. She probably just doesn't like hospitals, or the people who work in them. They carry needles…and other things. You know? I mean, what kid isn't afraid of a needle? Can't say that I blame her; I've never been too fond of them myself," Lois rambles on with a shrug and begins to make her way to toward the elevator. "Chloe. Smallville," Lois nods her head towards the direction she's heading, a clear indication that it's time to go.

Clark gives Davis a departing nod and follows after Lois.

Chloe tells them she'll be down in a minute.

"No, Aunt Chloe, come with us," Jo'an sobs.

"I'll be right down Jo. I just want to say goodbye to Jimmy first. Okay?" Chloe says before walking over to her niece and taking her small hand in hers. "It won't take long. I promise."

"Please, just come with us," Jo'an begs.

Chloe squeezes the little girls hand and places a huge smile on her face.

"Just give me a minute. Sixty seconds. Okay?" she says, letting her niece know that she literally means a minute.

Jo'an shakes her head. _Five _seconds are too long.

"Just take her downstairs," Chloe tells Lois. She wasn't getting anywhere with the little girl.

Jo'an buries her face in her mother's neck once again and cries. She's not supposed to cry. Lanes don't cry; but she really doesn't want her aunt to stay with the monster.

As soon as the elevator doors close, Chloe drops her smile.

"What did you do to her?" She accuses angrily. Jo'an has absolutely no reason to fear humans. They can't harm her. Not unless they have kryptonite, or they're not actually _human_.

"Chloe, I swear, I didn't even touch her," Davis answers quickly with his palms raised up in a defensive gesture.

"You don't have to _touch _someone to scare them Davis."

A muscle in his jaw twitches. She has no idea how true her words hold for him. Chloe's been avoiding him ever since he kissed her, and he can't blame her for that; but if she knew he was 'the beast', he'd lose her forever. He couldn't let that happen.

"Just stay away," Chloe commands as she turns around and begins to walk away; but he grabs her arm.

"I can't do that."

"Let me go," Chloe glares at him.

"I…I need you," He swallows and wipes his forehead. He's beginning to sweat.

Chloe frowns. Something's not right with him. This isn't just a man pining after a woman he's lost to another man. Something's…_off_.

"Just leave them out of it or you will never see me again," she threatens

Davis nods his head vigorously. "Okay." He agrees and lets go of her arm.

She leaves without glancing back at him; not even once.

When Chloe gets down to the car, she smiles because Clark is in the driver's seat. Lois never lets him drive; but it would be impossible for her to drive with Jo'an sitting in her lap. Apparently the child still refuses to let go of her mother.

She opens the passenger door and gets in.

"Aunt Chloe?" Jo'an lifts her head from Lois's shoulder and turns her head.

"I told you I'd be down in a minute," Chloe smiles and winks at the child.

"You're eleven seconds late," Jo'an offers her a small smile; then, her eyes widen suddenly. "Uncle Ollie!"

How could she have forgotten her uncle?

"Daddy, Uncle Ollie's still in there!"

"Oliver…Uncle Ollie's hurt Jo'an; he's supposed to still be in there," Clark replies.

"But"-

"Tell ya what;" Lois interrupts while pulling out her phone and dialing a number. "Why don't you just talk to Ollie on the phone?"

Jo'an nods her head and asks her mother really nicely to put him on speaker phone. It's not as good as seeing him, but if she, everyone, can hear him that won't be so bad. If something goes wrong her Daddy will know and he can just zoom over to her uncle and help.

"Can't get enough of me, can you?" Oliver answers after just two rings.

Jo'an giggles in relief. "Uncle Ollie?"

"I'm on speaker; aren't I?" Oliver concludes.

Lois clears her throat and avoids looking up in the front seat where Clark and Chloe are trying unsuccessfully to keep their faces straight.

"Yep, you're on speaker phone," Jo'an answers him since nobody else does.

"That's just great," he answers with a bite of sarcasm.

Jo'an giggles again.

"And what are you laughing at sport?"

"You!" She exclaims in between her laughter and lays her head down on Lois's chest.

Lois rolls her eyes. The child is spoiled rotten.

"And Mommy hates in when you call me 'sport' too."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well the next time you see your mommy, tell her Uncle Ollie says she's a sucksport."

"A sucksport?" She asks wondering the meaning of the word. Her uncle is always making up silly words for her.

"A killjoy, a party pooper, a wet blanket, a scrooge; take your pick."

Jo'an thinks for about a millisecond before deciding that at this moment her mother is more like a scrooge.

"Then a bah-humbugging Ebenezer Scrooge she is," Oliver says once he gets his answer.

Jo'an covers her mouth as she laughs and glances up at her mother. If only she knew they were talking about _her_!

"Listen sport, I'll talk to you later okay?"

"But you're still in the hospital," Jo'an panics.

"You…you want me to talk to you _until _I get out of the hospital?"

Jo'an nods her head; forgetting for a second that her uncle can't see her, but he guesses the right answer anyway.

"That's a long time Joey," he tells her.

"Please Uncle Ollie?"

"Fine. You know, I could never resist your mother when she begged either."

"Too much information Oliver," Chloe calls from the front seat with a smirk.

"Right. Speaker phone," Oliver says after clearing his throat.

Lois glares at Chloe; not liking the fact that everyone seems to know so much about the kid's mother, while she knows nothing.

"What did Mommy used to beg for?" Jo'an asks innocently.

"How about I tell you something else," Oliver negotiates.

"Like a story?"

"Exactly; like a story."

"Okay," Jo'an shrugs.

"What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"A good one."

"Okay," Oliver clears his throat. "Once upon a time"-

"Once upon a time stories are for babies, Uncle Ollie," Jo'an interrupts with the smallest whine. Her Uncle already _knows_ that. Well, her other Uncle Ollie knows that. And even though this one is sort of the same, he doesn't know that. She just keeps forgetting about that.

"Of course they're for babies," Oliver chuckles. He's starting to like his 'niece' more and more. "What do you want to hear?"

"How about the time you and Aunt Chloe went to the McDougal Inn?"

"The what?"

"You _know_, the silver banshee story," Jo'an explains. It's one of her favorite stories. She's heard it so many times she could tell it to him if she wanted. But she's not going to. _He's_ the one who needs to keep talking until he gets out of the hospital.

"Me and your Aunt Chloe went to a Mcdully Inn?"

"The McDougal Inn," Jo'an giggles, thinking her uncle's playing another game.

"By ourselves?" Oliver gulps.

"Uh-huh."

"Nobody else?" Oliver begins to panic slightly.

"Uh-uh."

"Why?"

"To get some 'alone time'. Hey! Are you trying to trick me into telling the story like last time?"

But before Jo'an gets an answer, she has to turn around and look at her aunt. She's having some kind of coughing fit; and it's a really bad one.

"Daddy, pat Aunt Chloe on her back!" Jo'an panics. It's never good when a human's face starts turning blue.

"Uh…listen Joey; I t-think we should pick a uh… a different story," Oliver stammers a little.

"Actually, I've never heard that story before. I think it would be an interesting one to tell me. Don't you think so Oliver? Chloe?" Lois says looking from the phone to the back of Chloe's head because her cousin refuses to turn around and face her.

Jo'an frowns at her mother. What does she mean she's never heard the Silver Banshee story before? She was there, with her daddy.

Jo'an gasps and nearly smacks herself in the head. How could she have forgotten? She's in the _past_. The silver Banshee story probably didn't even _happen_ yet. Not if her Aunt Chloe's still married to Jimmy right now; and her daddy's still with Lana.

"You're right Uncle Ollie; I heard that story too many times. You can tell me one of those 'Once upon a time stories" Jo'an offers.


	8. Chapter 8

Lois Lane is irritated; and cranky; and exhausted, and it's not even six o'clock yet.

For three whole hours she had the back of her seat kicked by a six year old; _Smallville's _six year old. Then, the little monster suddenly disappeared when she turned her back for a second. She spent several minutes (which felt like hours) looking for the kid; hoping she was just playing some kind of hide and seek game, and that she wasn't lost or…or taken away before telling her cousin she was missing; _only _to discover Clark had her the _whole_ time. Which, by the way, ticked her off more than it relieved her. Seriously, All that worrying, and for nothing.

And now, her legs are nearly numb because for three long, hot, miserable hours the kid has been sitting in her lap. She had every intention of carefully putting her into her booster seat once she fell asleep; but she didn't fall asleep. For nearly _three _hours she talked to Oliver about absolutely everything and nothing at the same time.

"Okay. Bye Uncle Ollie," Jo'an hangs up just as they pass the 'Welcome to Smallville' sign. "Uncle Ollie's out of the hospital now," she smiles brightly.

"That's great," Lois mutters before snatching her phone away. "Smallville, you're helping me with my phone bill next month."

Clark frowns at her through the rearview mirror. "Lois, you have unlimited talk."

"We'll call it a convenience fee."

Clark just smiles and shakes his head in amusement. He has no intention of helping her with her cell phone bill, and she doesn't really expect him to. Lois just needs to vent her frustrations out on someone, and Clark just so happens to be her favorite punching bag.

When Clark finally pulls into the Kent farm, Lois breathes a sigh of relief. She needs to stretch her legs. Bad.

"Up," Lois commands and opens the door before Clark can make a complete stop. Jo'an climbs out of the car quickly, apparently not affected by the long care ride in the least. Lois isn't so lucky.

"You're moving really slow," Jo'an observes.

"Yeah well, my feet are asleep. Both of them."

"Really?"

"That's what happens when a spoiled brat sits on you for a long time," She mutters under her breath.

_A spoiled brat huh? _Jo'an frowns to herself. She's not spoiled, and she's not a brat.

Jo'an suddenly kicks one of Lois's feet; just hard enough to 'wake it up', and then she runs.

"Shit!" Lois yells loudly.

"Lois!" Clark reprimands.

She ignores him and runs after the kid, screaming the whole time.

"I'm going to kill you, you little brat!"

"Not if you can't catch me," Jo'an teases.

"Get back here!"

"Aren't they cute?" Chloe teases.

Clark frowns at her. _Cute_ is not how he would describe this situation.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I can't just send her home," He sighs heavily.

"Why not?"

"Jor-el said"-

"When'd you speak to Jo- Oh, when we were on our way to the hospital. Three hour gap, plenty of time. Right. Sorry. So, Jor-el said…"

"He wants me to send her back, alone," Clark sighs.

"As in…"

"As in by herself. Without me. And soon."

"Why?"

"Jor-el," He takes another deep breath. "Jor-el says that by Jo'an being here, she's changing things. Maybe for the better, probably for the worse."

"What, Like the 'butterfly effect'?"

"Exactly, and I figured as much, but when I told him _I'd_ take her home,He said…I can't. The _future _we'd travel to; it would be like I was gone for seven years. _Everything _would be different. I wouldn't be taking her back to the home she knows."

"Whereas if you send her alone…"

"Most things would be the same; but I can't do that Chloe. What if she doesn't end up in _her _time? What if she ends up, I don't know, too far into the future or something?"

"Which leads me back to 'what are you going to do?'"

"I don't know yet." He glances over at Jo'an and Lois. "I didn't know if I would be able to have children," he confesses.

"Well, looks like you can big guy," Chloe smirks.

He gives her a look; a 'that's not funny' look.

"What? At least she's cute," She adds before getting into her car. "I'll see you later; I have some thingsto catch up on."

"Okay, see you later," Clark says distractedly. His gaze is trained on the huge puzzle before him. He and Lois, Lois and Clark, have a child together. How did that happen?

Jo'an let's her mother catch her eventually; just to make things fair.

"Okay, Okay!" Jo'an squeals when Lois wrestles her down and puts her in a loose headlock. She laughs and squirms a little. "I'm sorry!"

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be."

"Not the noogie! Daddy! Daddy, help me!"

Clark smiles. She is cute.

"Stay where you are Smallville. This is between me and the little rugrat."

Clark grins and jogs over to them. "Now Lois, what kind of father would I be if I ignored my child's cry for help?"

Effortlessly he separates the two and flips Lois over onto her stomach. "Your turn to get Lois Jo'an," he announces as he holds Lois's wrists firmly so that she can't defend herself from the child.

"Smallville; you let me go right now or I'll-what the hell are you doing?" She turns her head and glares at Jo'an.

"Playing your bum drums," she answers and begins to hum along to the beat she's creating on her mother's rear.

"Well, stop that!"

"Actually Lois, it looks kinda fun," Clark teases.

"It is. You wanna try Daddy?"

"Hey, what did I say would happen to you if you ever touched my ass again?" Lois warns.

"Again?"

"Lana!" Clark exclaims, quickly letting go of Lois and standing to his feet.

Lois takes her time getting up, brushing dirt and leaves off of her clothes.

"Don't worry about it Lana. It didn't mean anything," Lois offers.

Lana raises her eyebrows.

"I mean, He was in shock, you know; because he thought you were dead," she continues.

Lana works her jaw a little and gives Lois a tight smile, letting her know she'd just made it worse.

"Okaaaay, well, I'm going to head on home. We'll see you, wait," She looks around. "Where's Chloe?"

"She left," Clark answers.

"Without me?"

"You came in separate cars, Lois."

"Yeah but, She could've said _something_."

"She did, you were busy," He says, inclining his head toward Jo'an.

"Oh, right, well, I'll see you guys later," she says and heads for her car. Lois doesn't like uncomfortable situations; and Clark and Lana are almost always uncomfortable to be around. Add the kid to the mix; and well, she just doesn't want to stick around to see how much more awkward it could be.

Apparently neither does Jo'an, because she follows behind Lois.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lois asks when Jo'an opens the back door.

"With you," she answers simply.

"No. you're not," Lois says as she shuts the door for emphasis.

"Yes I am."

"No. You're staying here with your daddy and you're soon-to-be stepmother."

"But"-

"Smallville! Come get your kid," Lois interrupts.

Clark walks over to the pair and grabs Jo'an's hand.

"But I want to go with Mo"-

"Jo'an!" Clark calls in alarm. "We've talked about that already."

"Talked about what?" Lois asks; her curiosity piqued. She's sure she's missing something because what he just said made no sense given their current situation.

"It's nothing Lois; something between me and _my _daughter," he answers while pulling Jo'an toward the house.

Lois stares at his retreating back, fuming. Not that she wants anything to do with the kid, but the way he said _my _daughter irked her. It was like he'd told her to mind her own business; and she'd be damned if she let him talk to her that way and get away with it.

"Actually Junior, I'd love for you to come with me," She speaks up.

"Really!" Jo'an exclaims.

Lois smiles at Clark brightly. "Really," she answers.

He scowls back at her and tighten his hold on Jo'an's hand. "I don't think"-

"Clark," Lana speaks up. No one even noticed her make her way toward the group. "I think you should let her go tonight."

"You do?" Lois and Clark ask simultaneously.

It irritates Lana. She doesn't want them doing anything together. Not having a kid, not sharing a soda, not even saying the same thing at the same time.

She takes a deep breath before speaking again.

"Where we're going tonight, we can't take her with us," She tells Clark. He understands immediately. They're supposed to go take a look at whatever's left from the bombing during Oliver's meeting today. Together. Because Lana's got it in her head that if they share every aspect of their life together, there won't be any room for Lois, or a future Jo'an.

"No way. I'm not taking her so that you two can indulge in a little hanky panky," Lois says firmly.

"Hanky panky?" Jo'an asks.

"It's a grown up game," Lois answers before Clark cans start with the stuttering.

"Oh. How old do I have to be to play?"

"Thirty," Clark and Lois say simultaneously; then they frown at each other, but not as much as Lana is frowning at the both of them. Now what are the chances of them saying the same number at the same time?

"And we're not"- Clark tries to explain but Lois cuts him off.

"Of course you're not. I just like to see you blush Smallville." She winks at him and opens the door for Jo'an.

"I'm not sitting in that."

"Great," Lois mumbles. "The brat is back."

"I"-

"And I don't care if you heard me. Just, crap what did Chloe say…Just follow the rules and you won't get hurt."

"That's not what Aunt Chloe said," Jo'an says before arching an eyebrow in disbelief. She's used to being able to remember more than her mommy; but _this _mommy can't remember _anything _right.

"Oh just get in the damn booster seat."


	9. Chapter 9

Chloe pulls out her keys and sighs. That_ thing _she had to take care of earlier mostly consisted of a long chat with Oliver. She was very troubled by Jo'an's behavior as well as some of the things the little girl said. Seriously, her and Oliver at an Inn? Together? To get some 'alone time'? What does _that_ mean? Where was Jimmy? How come Jo'an never mentioned Jimmy?

She puts the key into the lock and pauses. She's been debating with herself for hours. While she doesn't want to do anything that could drastically change the future for the worse, she really wants to ask Jo'an about it. Oliver doesn't think it's such a good idea but…

Before Chloe can fully turn the knob, the door opens.

"Hi Aunt Chloe."

"Jo'an! Hi, what are you doing here?"

"You're not happy to see me?" She pouts, making Chloe feel guilty instantly.

"No, of course I'm happy to see you," Chloe says before pulling her niece into a hug; "I just didn't know you were going to be here, that's all. I thought you were with Cl-your daddy."

"Mommy said I could come," Jo'an shrugs.

"Shh," Chloe hisses and cover's Jo'an's mouth. "You're supposed to call her Lois; remember?"

"She's in the kitchen. I don't think she heard me," Jo'an whispers back not so quietly.

"She's…she's in the kitchen? Doing what?"

"Making our dinner."

"Oh no," Chloe says and rushes inside. Lois Lane does _not_ cook.

And she didn't. Sitting on the table are three plates of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches…with _string beans?_

"Lois, I don't think string beans go with PB and J," Chloe smirks.

"Yeah, well, the kid's gotta have her vegetables," she answers with a shrug. "Where'd you disappear to anyway?"

"I uh"-

"Aunt Chloe, where's Uncle Ollie?"

"At home, I guess," she answers nervously. Why would _she_ know where he is? _Even though she just spent the last few hours with him. _

Maybe Jo'an knows that.

Or maybe she's just being paranoid.

"But he always comes to see me when he gets out of the hospital," Jo'an whines.

"Always," Lois snorts. "Just how often is 'Uncle Ollie' hospitalized?"

"A lot. He has a dangerous job."

"Of course he does," Lois says suddenly remembering her ex's green leathered wardrobe. The kid's right, but Lois doubts she knows just _how _dangerous her uncle's job is.

"Can't you call him and tell him to come over? Please?"

"Why don't you just talk to him on the phone again?" Chloe says, pulling her cell out.

"No! I have to _see _him."

"Listen Junior, it's late, and Oliver is a very important person; maybe he's too busy right now."

Jo'an ignores her mother. Uncle Ollie _always _has time for her.

"Can I call him?" she asks Chloe, deciding to ask him to come over herself.

Chloe dials Oliver and hands the phone to Jo'an once it starts ringing.

"Can't get enough of me, can you?" he answers.

"Uncle Ollie?" Jo'an frowns.

"Joey? Uh, are we on speaker again?"

"No."

"Good."

"Do you always answer your phone like that now?"

"Uh, so what's up?"

"You're supposed to come see me when you get out of the hospital. That's one of the rules Uncle Ollie," Jo'an lectures sternly. She doesn't even notice the barely concealed change of subject.

"Rules?"

"Uh-huh."

"Who's rules?"

"Your rules."

"My rules?"

"Uncle Ollie!"

"Alright, alright. So…this over the phone thing doesn't count. Does it?"

"No; because that one time when you lied on the phone and said you were fine, but you weren't, and you almost died, and Mommy said that I would've been scarred for life if I didn't get to say goodbye because a girl needs closure."

"Yep…that sounds like her alright. How about tomorrow?"

"No. Today."

"How about"-

"Hey!" Jo'an exclaims when Lois takes the phone from her. "I'm not done."

"You are now. I am _not_ going to sit here and listen to you two talk for another three hours. Go sit down at the table and eat. Bye Oliver," she finishes and hangs up on the laughing billionaire.

"Aunt Chloe," Jo'an says when her aunt sits down beside her. "Do I have to eat these?" She pokes at a string bean with her index finger.

"Well,"-

"Hey, kid, you're _my _responsibility tonight; which means I'm the boss, not Aunt Chloe, and I say you have to eat them. So," Lois forks a few of the vegetables and puts them in front of Jo'an's mouth. "Open up."

"But I'm allergic."

Lois frowns. She hadn't thought of that. She raises a questioning eyebrow at her cousin. Chloe shakes her head. Jo'an isn't allergic to anything…except kryptonite.

"No Lois, she's not allergic to anything."

Lois nods her head. She's almost amused. Almost. The kid's good. She'll give her that. But she's not better than Lois Lane.

"Alright, since it won't _kill_ you…" Lois dumps her string beans onto Jo'an's plate. "You can have mine. I didn't really want them anyway."

"Aunt Chloeeee," Jo'an whines, making the older of the two feel guilty for ratting out her niece. Chloe looks over at Jo'an and regrets it immediately. She recognizes that look. She's a sucker for that look. She can barely resist Clark when he gives her that look. How's she supposed to resist Jo'an, who is sooo much cuter?

"Tell you what Jo, We'll do this together. Every bite I take, you take. Okay?"

Jo'an frowns. That would mean she still has to eat them.

Lois takes Chloe's plate away. "Stop spoiling her" she says while dumping Chloe's string beans onto Jo'an's plate. "There; now you have to eat them alone."

Jo'an's mouth drops. "I can't eat all of this."

Lois thinks for a second. Literally.

"You're absolutely right," she says and takes Jo'an's sandwich away. "There you go."

Jo'an gaps at her mother. Surely she doesn't expect her to eat _only _string beans. Lois raises her eyebrows because she absolutely _does_ expect the little girl to eat only string beans.

Jo'an looks to her aunt.

_awwww, _Chloe thinks to herself.

"Oh no you don't. Chloe, shower. Now. And You," she turns on Jo'an. "You keep those puppy dog eyes on your food."

Chloe lets out a sigh of relief. She really doesn't want to be the one to say no to Jo'an.

"Eat," Lois commands once Chloe leaves.

Jo'an frowns down at her food. "I'm not hungry," she mumbles.

"Okay, give me your plate."

Jo'an looks up at Lois hopefully.

'_Just like that?'_

"I'll just wrap this up and put it in the fridge. You can eat it for breakfast tomorrow. Wait, you will be hungry _then _right?"

"String beans for breakfast?" Jo'an wrinkles her nose.

"String beans for breakfast," Lois confirms and reaches across the table for Jo'an's plate."

Jo'an stops her by grabbing on to the plate. "And if I'm not hungry in the morning?"

Lois walks around the table and stops in front of Jo'an. She bends over, resting her elbows on the table and leaning in toward the child just a little.

"String beans for lunch. And if you're still not hungry; string beans for dinner. Bottom line is, you're _going _to eat these. _When_ is completely up to you."

Jo'an's bottom lip begins to tremble, and a lone tear makes its way down her cheek before falling from her chin.

"Nice try kid; but I've been able to cry on cue since before your daddy was born. Worked on my mother every time; and then you know what happened?"

Jo'an shakes her head slowly.

"She died; and those tears didn't work on The General; and they're not going to work on me. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Jo'an sniffs with a sigh and the tears magically disappear. Lois smiles to herself, liking the 'yes ma'am' answer; and liking the fact that she got the kid to obey her even more.

_God I'm good._

Jo'an picks up one of the beans and tries to plop, but Lois smacks her hand lightly causing her to drop it.

"Use a fork," she chastises.

"You didn't give me one."

"Oh."

Lois grabs the fork from her own plate. She won't be needing it now that her string beans are on Jo'an's plate. When Jo'an reaches for the fork, Lois snatches it back.

"Uh-uh; what are you supposed to say when someone gives you something?"

"…Thank you?"

"Are you asking or telling?"

"…telling."

"Let's try this again."

Jo'an rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath when Lois turns around and puts her fork back onto her own plate; only to pick it up again and hand it to the little girl.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lois says sweetly.

"What'd I miss?" Chloe cheerfully announces her presence. She feels so much better now that she's showered and made her decision. She's going to ask Jo'an about Jimmy and Oliver…and Davis.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Lois reprimands before the child even opens her mouth.

Jo'an swallows quickly.

"How'd you know I was gonna"-

"Oh please, you're as predictable as the primary colored flannel in Smallville's closet. Chloe can be gone for five seconds and you'll run up to her like you haven't seen her in years."

"If you were _nicer _to me, I'd be happy to see _you_ all the time too," Jo'an retorts sourly.

Lois crosses her eyes at Jo'an, making her laugh. Lois bites back a smile, not wanting to admit to herself just how cute the kid is when she laughs. Like a mini Smallville. Who by the way, isn't cute. Not even a little bit.

'_Although, he does have a nice'-_

"Eat your food," Lois says and gets up from the table. She needed to stop that train of thought before it even started.

"But"-

"No buts, just eat," she calls over her shoulder.

Jo'an stares at her fork. What's she supposed to do _now_?

"You're not eating," Lois calls from the kitchen.

"Lois, there's nothing on her plate," Chloe calls back.

"She's finished? Already?"

Lois makes her way back to the table. She looks at the plate and frowns down at Jo'an suspiciously. There was no way the kid ate all of that already.

"What are you doing?" Chloe grins as Lois disappears under the table.

"Checking."

Chloe doesn't have to ask what she's "checking" for. It's pretty obvious; and the truth is, Jo'an could have easily supersped her food to the Kent farm without her mother knowing.

"Jo, did you eat all of your food? And no lying to me," Chloe adds.

"Yes, I ate them _really_ fast."

"Okay," Chloe says, understanding the child's 'really fast' means superspeed.

"Up," Lois commands of Jo'an. Unlike her cousin, she isn't going to just take the kid's word for it. "Arms out to the side," she says once Jo'an is standing. Jo'an giggles when her mother checks her pockets, then her shoes for stray vegetables.

"All clear, good job Junior," Lois says at last before taking the plate away. "Now all we have to do is get you into the tub; and then, bed," she says almost dreamingly. She's had a long day and can't wait to hit the sack.

"But I'm not sleepy," Jo'an says.

"I didn't ask if you were."

"I'll give her a bath," Chloe volunteers. It would be the perfect time to talk to Jo'an about the _future_.

"No; I'll do it," Lois says and grabs Jo'an's hand. "I just got her to behave. I don't need you to undo all my handy work within the time it takes to run the water. You can clean the kitchen," she calls over her shoulder.

_So much for that plan, _Chloe thinks to herself as she walks into the kitchen. Then she frowns. Lois only made sandwiches and string beans; so, why does the kitchen look like a tornado swept through?

But before Chloe can get started, there's a knock on the door. She raises her eyebrows. Not many people come by at this time of night; except for maybe Clark, and he never knocks.

"Who is it?" She calls.

"Me."

Chloe rolls her eyes before unlocking the door.

_What is he doing here?_

She opens the door and Oliver Queen steps inside.


	10. Chapter 10

**Stop Dreaming, Asharlee, Aaron Leach, and c im am a dragon: **Thank you for reading and reviewing. I love to read what people think about my stories.

**Evilredknight: **I know I answered you personally, but just in case anyone else was wondering the same thing…Yes, there will be a point where everyone talks about the _future_; but I'm not rushing it. Even though I'm nine chapters in, it's still the very first day. "The talk" will take place tomorrow. (Not our tomorrow, but their tomorrow; which is about another chapter from now.)

**Reeven: **I'm sorry you don't like the Chlollie thing, but I already promised someone else I'll add more. I hope this doesn't discourage you from reading and I'm really glad you like this story so far.

**Brainchild: **No, it's perfectly natural to worry about Chloe and Oliver, but I can't say much more without giving away some things. Sorry. Lol.

**Wtchcool and anacaro: **The funny thing is, this is actually a true event; well minus the superspeed eating and other Smallville related things. So, I'm really glad you enjoyed that. Alexis didn't think it was funny, but I didn't care; I got her to eat them didn't I?

**Madlenita: **thank you; and I wish I could tell you what's going to happen next; but….Anyway; I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Campdti: **Lol. That's happened to me before, and I'm so glad I was able to do it to someone else. Not that I want you to get fired or anything;)

**A/N: ** I'm not exactly sure where I saw this; but I think it's a good idea, and I'll try to do it on every update.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"What are you doing here?" Chloe hisses.

"Don't you remember? I'm taking you to the McDougal Inn."

Chloe glares at him, and Oliver experiences an 'if looks could kill' moment.

"Let me guess, not funny yet?"

She doesn't answer. Just raises her eyebrows.

"Come on, it's a little funny."

Still no answer; just a glare. A really angry glare.

"No? Um…" Oliver clears his throat and unconsciously loosens his tie. It's beginning to suffocate him a little. There's no doubt in his mind that it's all because of Chloe and her death stare.

"Can I…can I get some water. Please."

She doesn't move.

"Okay, you're _scaring _me. And I'm sorry. Really Sorry."

"Why are you here?" Chloe asks, ignoring his apology.

"Just following my rules, that's all. Get out of the hospital; go see my niece."

Chloe relaxes. He's here for Jo'an.

"Lois isn't gonna like this. She thinks we spoil her," She grins.

"Who? Us? Nah, we're just a good aunt and uncle to our niece."

_Our _niece? Chloe freezes as she thinks about something. Before, she thought it was strange Lois would let her child call an ex 'uncle'; but what if…what if Jo'an calls Ollie uncle because of _her_; because she and Oliver are a couple. But how could she and Oliver possibly be a couple? She's got Jimmy.

"Uncle Ollie!"

"Hey get back here!"

Both Oliver and Chloe turn around as Jo'an comes running out of the bathroom excitedly. Normally; she'd just launch herself at him without the possibility of him dropping her entering her mind. He never misses. Not this time; at the last second she remembers he's hurt, and skids to a stop in front of him. He bends down and holds his arms out, silently inviting her into a hug with a huge grin on his face. She grins back and accepts, being careful not to squeeze him too hard.

"I swear, sometimes your hearing is better than Shelby's," Lois calls as she emerges out of the bathroom. "What the hell are you doing here?" She frowns down at Oliver.

Oliver stands up; lifting Jo'an along with him. "I'm supposed to see my niece whenever I get out of the hospital," he says simply and pokes the little girl in the side, making her giggle.

"Am I the only one who doesn't spoil this kid rotten?" Lois rolls her eyes.

"Nah, I just like to see her smile," Oliver shrugs and pokes Jo'an again.

"Uncle Ollie!" She squeals.

"See, how can that _not _put a smile on your face?"

"Whatever; that's what's wrong with the little monster now."

"I'm not a monster!" Jo'an exclaims.

"That's right Lois," Oliver chimes in. "There's nothing wrong with Joey. She's just like her mother; which makes her perfect," Oliver finishes softly and frowns. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. Hell, he didn't even realize he was thinking it. But now that he's said it, he realizes why he dotes on his 'niece' so much, both now and in the future. Sure, She's practically Clark's clone, but that's easily forgotten as soon as the child opens her mouth, or rolls her eyes, or crosses her arms over her chest, or…

"Yeah, well, her mother must be a monster too. And stop calling her Joey, it's irritating and it's a boy's name."

Oliver glances at Jo'an, then over at Chloe. They all laugh.

Lois rolls her eyes. It's like a damn conspiracy.

"Just give her to me," Lois says while reaching for the child.

"But"-

"Don't worry Joey_, _I'm not going anywhere," Oliver offers. "I've got a present for you anyway. You can have it when you're done"

"What is it?" Jo'an practically squeals. She loves presents. A lot.

Lois snatches the child away before Oliver can answer. She is _not _going to sit here while they exchange unnecessary goodbyes; only to be reunited with each other in a few minutes.

"Feel the water and tell me if it's too hot," Lois says once they're inside the bathroom again.

"It's not."

"You don't know that."

"I do," Jo'an says, her voice muffled a bit by the t-shirt as she pulls it over her head.

"Suit yourself," Lois shrugs. If the kid gets burned, maybe she'd be more inclined to do as she's told.

Jo'an begins to unbutton her pants but stops. She needs help. It's not that she _can't _do it herself; it's just, she usually breaks the buttons when she tries. That never makes her mommy happy.

"Can you _please_ help me with my pants _please_?" Jo'an asks hoping she'd put enough 'pleases' in there to satisfy her mother. It works. Lois smiles and helps the Jo'an out of her clothes and into the tub.

"Do you like Daddy?"

"Smallville? He's okay."

"How come he's always with Lana and not you?"

"Because Lana's his girlfriend."

"Why?"

"Because he likes her."

"Does he like her more than you?"

"I hope so. Give me your foot."

"Why?"

"Because I need to clean it."

"No, why- that tickles!" Jo'an laughs when Lois scrubs the bottom of her foot.

Lois grins. Oliver's right. Anytime the kid laughs, she wants to laugh too.

"Give me your other foot," she says, snapping herself out of it. If she's not careful, she's gonna end up just like Oliver and Chloe; spoiling the kid and letting her walk all over them.

When Lois reaches for the shampoo, Jo'an frowns. She hates getting her hair washed. It takes a _long_ time.

"Do you have to?"

"What, wash your hair? Of course I do. Do you know what Smallville will say if I send you back in less than perfect condition?"

"No."

"Me neither, but I know I won't like it."

Lois reaches behind Jo'an and unties her hair. "Huh" she mutters to herself. It's pretty; her hair, it's closer to gorgeous actually. It's dark, nearly black, and thick with airbrushed curls; and its long; very long; like maybe it's never been cut before long. She barely noticed before because it's been wrapped into a loose bun all day.

"Wait right here. Don't move," Lois stands up abruptly.

"Where are you going?"

"To get a cup so I can rinse you're hair. Just, don't move okay. I don't need you drowning on my watch."

Jo'an rolls her eyes. She's not a baby; and she _can't _drown.

Lois rushes into the kitchen. She's never heard of a six year old drowning in the tub before; but this is Smallville, and she _is_ Smallville's kid.

Chloe jumps up from the couch as soon as she sees her cousin. "Done?" She asks hopefully.

Lois frowns at her. What's with all the fidgeting? And why were she and Oliver sitting so far apart? More than likely it has something to do with what the kid said earlier about them spending time together; and she'd love to ask, no, she's _going _to ask, but not now. She really needs to get back to the kid.

"No, I still have to wash her hair," Lois answers briskly.

"I'll do it."

"It's okay, I got it."

"I can help."

"Thanks but it's not rocket science," Lois answers with a roll of her eyes. She may not be good with kids, but she _can_ wash the kid's hair without killing her. Probably.

Lois notices two things at once when she opens the door. One, the kid's head is underwater; and two, she's not moving. At all. She rushes over in a panic and pulls the girl up.

Lois gasps and widens her eyes in shock when water shoots out of the brat's mouth and ends up all over her shirt.

"I got you!" Jo'an exclaims mischievously.

Lois tries to smile but a grimace is all she can manage. When a kid does something like that, it's supposed to be cute right? So why does she feel like pushing the little monster's head back under water for a very, _very_ long time?

"Yes. You got me. It was funny," Lois says in a clipped tone that suggests it was anything but.

"I know," Jo'an smiles, not quite catching on to her mother's sarcasm. Everyone always tells her she's funny at home.

"Put your head back," Lois says. She barely gives the child enough time to do so before pouring water over her head.

"I didn't bring any PJ's."

"You can wear one of my t-shirts," Lois answers tersely. She still hasn't quite forgiven the girl for the little prank she pulled.

"I didn't bring any underwear either. Will I have to wear yours?"

"No, looks like you're going commando tonight."

"And tomorrow too?"

"You'll be with your daddy then. You can wear your own. Close your eyes."

"I don't have any underwear at Daddy's house," Jo'an says, ignoring Lois and keeping her eyes open. Shampoo doesn't bother her at all.

"Your mother didn't pack you any?" Lois frowns. Even _she _isn't that irresponsible.

"No."

"She didn't think you would need them after she dropped you off?"

"She didn't drop me off," Jo'an answers softly.

"Then how'd you wind up at the farm?"

Jo'an doesn't answer. Just keeps her eyes down.

"Looks like we're going shopping tomorrow," Lois changes the subject. She suddenly remembered the circumstance under which the child was left at the farm; and has assumed she arrived via the police or child services.

_Poor kid._

"Just me and you?" Jo'an wrinkles her nose.

_I take that back._

"Stand up," Lois commands ignoring the child and wrapping a towel around her. "Go tell Chloe to find you a t-shirt to wear. I need to take my shower now."

"Okay," Jo'an answers before running out. She just remembered something. Her present. Her uncle said she could have it when she was done with her bath.

"Aunt Chloe, Mommy said find me a shirt to wear can I have my present now?" She asks, merging the two sentences together.

Chloe jumps up quickly, glad to be doing _something_ other than making small talk with her future…Oliver.

Oliver laughs; both at Chloe and his niece before pulling a small object out of his pocket. Jo'an's eyes widen and she grabs it. It's a phone. She's never had a phone to herself before.

"You can't tell mommy okay?" Oliver whispers.

"Why?"

"Do you really think she'll let you keep it?" he scoffs playfully.

It doesn't take Jo'an long to come up with the answer. Her real mommy would say she's too young. _This_ mommy would say she's too spoiled. She shakes her head "no". Neither one would let her have it.

"Exactly, but, it's just for emergencies okay. _Real _emergencies."

"Okay," Jo'an agrees immediately. Her uncle rarely tells her what to do; but when he does, it's always important.

"Here you go," Chloe says and hands Jo'an a t-shirt before giving Oliver a 'you're still here?' look.

"Okaaaay, I guess it's time for me to go," Oliver says

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?" Jo'an asks.

"Course I am," Oliver grins before placing a kiss on the child's forehead

"And what about Aunt Chloe?"

Oliver freezes at the door.

"Jo," Chloe interrupts with a sigh. Evidently her suspicions were correct. She and Oliver are _involved _in the future. But _this_ isn't the future. This is now; and she bends a little so that she's at eye level with the child so she can explain it to her.

"I'm married to Jimmy, Jo'an. I can't kiss Oliver."

Jo'an frowns. She'd forgotten all about Jimmy.

"Okay," she whispers sadly. Should she tell her aunt about Jimmy dying; about _how _he dies? She sighs. She probably should.

"Maybe just a little one Chloe," Oliver cuts in sympathetically.

"What!" She glares back at him. He can't be serious.

"Maybe just a small one, on the cheek," He continues, nodding his head in Jo'an's direction; and Chloe turns to see the heartbreakingly sad look on the child's face.

"Okay," she agrees with a roll of her eyes. Maybe Lois was right. They've known Jo'an for what? A day? And already they're willing to do anything to keep her happy.

She turns to face Oliver fully, and gasps when he presses his lips to hers.

"Oliver!" She shoves him. Hard.

"What the hell did you do that for? I was _aiming _at your cheek. Why'd you turn around?" he yells back.

"You could've warned me," she hisses. It was an accident, but it doesn't make her feel better.

"I did. Next time just stay still."

"_Next _time? There isn't going to _be _a next time."

"Stop it! No fighting; please. I'm sorry," Jo'an nearly sobs. She's never seen or even _heard _them fight before; and she doesn't like it one bit.

"We're not fighting," Oliver says quickly before pulling Chloe into an awkward one armed hug. Chloe in turn places a smile over clenched teeth. "See?"

Jo'an's expression doesn't change. They can't honestly believe she doesn't know they're faking.

"Okay sport, I have to go for real," He says before kissing her goodbye again and leaving.

"You ready for bed?" Chloe asks after locking the door behind him. Jo'an nods her head. She's not really, but she has other things on her mind right now.

Chloe leads Jo'an over to the bed and helps her in.

"Do you need a story or something?"

Jo'an shakes her head.

"Are you okay?"

Jo'an nods her head.

"You sure? Because you haven't said a word since Oliver left."

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders.

Chloe sighs. "I'm sorry about Oliver okay, but Jimmy _is _my husband. Oliver isn't. You understand that right?"

Jo'an nods her head.

Chloe lets out another sigh and turns to leave.

"Wait," Jo'an grabs Chloe's wrist, forcing her to turn back around. She keeps her eyes on her aunt's hand. "Aunt Chloe, Davis…Davis Bloom is a bad man."

"What do you mean by"-

"What's she doing in my bed?"

Chloe groans, her cousin has the worse timing ever.

"Where do you want her to sleep?" she snaps unintentionally.

"With you."

"On the couch? Lois there's barely enough room for me, let alone me and Jo."

"On the floor then."

"Lois."

"I'm just kidding…sort of," she adds under her breath and gets in beside the kid.

Once all the lights are turned off, and everyone is nearly asleep, Jo'an begins to cry. Silently. Aunt Chloe tucked her in, and said good night, and kissed her forehead; but her mommy usually does that. She wants her mother now more than ever.

"Good night Mommy," she sniffs.

Lois's heart constricts at the sound of the child's voice. It's so sad, and lonely; and the fact that she'd just said goodnight to a woman who can't even remember her, let alone _hear_ her right now moved her. God she's becoming a sap.

"Goodnight Junior," Lois whispers back, knowing that it won't be enough; but hoping it would help all the same.

Jo'an falls asleep with a smile on her face. Her mommy heard her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Pem21: **I'm not trying to be rude in any way; I realize you can't quite catch my tone just by reading this; which is probably why we use the smiley faces and lols; but…

If you look at the description for this story, you'll see that I marked this k+, and humor and family, and that I left the characters blank. I did that on purpose. This is not a Clois fic, nor is it a Chlollie fic. It's a Jo'an fic. I know she's their daughter; but that's the _future_; like a year or two from now. Right now, Lois isn't interested in Clark, and Clark is with Lana. And the reason I'm doing it this way is because I did NOT like how that wedding thing went down. The way Clark almost kissed Lois and then just dumped her for Lana. I thought that was wrong on so many levels and I actually felt bad for her, despite the fact that she's just a character lol. So, the almost kiss didn't happen, for this story anyway; and they're back to being banter buddies who don't even realize they're attracted to one another.

As far as not understanding how Clois will come about at all, you'll have to wait until chapter thirteen. Chapter 11 is already written (more Lois and Jo'an). Chapter 12 is almost done. (Lois or Jo'an won't appear at all). And I already know how I want chapter 13 to go. I haven't even written it down yet and it's one of my favs. I think you'll really like it. Maybe. Hopefully.

**Cathy: **I'm really glad you're enjoying yourself; makes my day. I don't really have a set number of chapters in mind; but I'm thinking about twenty; unless that's too long for you. Lol.

**Stop Dreaming and Miranda Aurelia: **Lol. You guys are confusing the crap out of me. Some of you like Chlollie, some of you hate it; what's a girl to do? Anyway, I'm glad you like it, and thank you for reviewing.

**Aaron Leach, c im am a dragon, jmjames, Jeremy Shane, granola girl: **Thank you for reviewing!

**Campbti: **Wow, thank you. You really do pay attention to the smaller details; which to me, are just as important as the big events in a story.

**Wtchcool: **I thought the bathtub thing was a must; and the fact that Lois didn't find it funny was my way of showing that she's starting to care about Jo'an; even if it is just a little bit.

**Reeven: **I'll be totally honest with you; I kinda agree with you a little. Chloe's like one of my favs on Smallville, but I'm not liking the way she seems to be turning against Clark. I'm so glad you're still liking the story though. Thank you! Oh, and to answer your other question, Oliver calls Jo'an Joey for two reasons. One, is to show how little he actually changes in the future. And two; it makes it easier to tell who's talking to her. If I say Joey, you know it's Oliver. If I say Junior, you know it's Lois. Chloe flips between Jo'an and Jo. And Clark and Lana just call her Jo'an.

**Brainchild: **I'm really glad you caught onto the whole 'Oliver still liking Lois' thing. I didn't know if I'd made it too subtle or what. Thank you.

**Cathy03: **To me, I think Jo'an and Clark are kinda pulling away from _each_ other. For Jo'an, she realizes Clark's her father, and she calls him 'Daddy', but she doesn't really know him. She just met him today in fact. And because her parents don't live together, she had to chose to be with one or the other; so she went with her mother, because that's who she knows, 'amnesia' or no amnesia. I think if Jo'an acted like a daddy's girl, she would've definitely had Clark wrapped around her finger by now. For Clark, ( *sighs* poor Clark) I think Clark has got like three dilemmas running around in his head. I think he's afraid to become too attached to Jo'an because he's undecided. Now that he knows he and Lana aren't a couple in the future, should he work even harder at their relationship? And if he does, that means Jo'an will never be; So, he kinda has to choose between Jo'an and Lana. And even though he just met Jo'an and he's loved Lana _forever_, he can't just choose Lana; that would make him a horrible person; but he can't quite let go of Lana either. It's a catch-22 for him. I hope I answered your question correctly, and I'm glad you like this story.

~~{(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)}~~

"Wake up."

Lois groans. It _can't_ be morning yet.

"Go back to sleep," she mumbles.

You'd think she would've forgotten all about the little girl while in her current state of semi-consciousness; but Lois doesn't have the luxury of forgetting her. The kid made sure of that. Throughout the whole night, Jo'an tossed and turned and flipped and flopped; causing Lois to wake up more times than she cares to remember. She would've ignored the child and kept sleeping if she didn't invade her personal space as well. It felt as if every other minute, some part of Jo'an's anatomy was slung over Lois's; whether it was an arm, or a leg, or her hair; which despite being very soft and extremely comfortable, also made Lois very hot and uncomfortable.

"But the sun is out."

Lois rolls her eyes without even opening them. Then she rolls over, showing Jo'an her back and promptly dismissing her.

"Aren't you going to fix my breakfast?"

"Make Chloe do it."

"She's not here."

"Where is she?" Lois nearly whimpers. She just needs five more minutes of sleep. Just five.

"At a meeting."

"What meeting?" Lois frowns. Her cousin didn't mention a meeting to her last night; or any other night for that matter.

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders; not that her mother can see it with her back turned to her. She doesn't know what meeting. All she knows is that early this morning she heard her aunt's phone vibrate. And when her aunt answered it, her daddy said they needed to discuss some things and to meet him at Uncle Ollie's. Her aunt didn't even say goodbye to her. Probably because she thought she was asleep; but still…

Jo'an sighs as her mother pulls the blanket up over her head; then adds a pillow on top.

She'll just make her own breakfast.

The smell of coffee is what wakes Lois up eventually; and the fact that neither she nor her cousin made it is what causes her to jump up out of the bed and run into the kitchen.

"Morning Mommy."

Lois skids to a stop; forgetting all about the coffee and the fact that a six year old probably almost burned down the apartment making it.

"What did you just call me?"

"I made your coffee. Aren't you going to taste it and tell me if I did it right?"

Coffee. Yeah, that's it. Her brain was just in a fog because she hadn't had her coffee yet. She was just hearing things. The kid did not just call her mommy. Although she did it that one time at the hospital…

_She was just scared then; she wasn't calling ME mommy. She was just calling OUT for her mother, _Lois reasons with herself.

"Well, are you?"

"What?" Lois jumps a little.

"Are you going to taste the coffee?"

"Ummmmm…" Lois glances at the coffee pot and gulps. As much as she needs coffee right now, she doesn't want any of _that_. Who knows how many different kinds of ways the kid screwed it up?

Jo'an picks up her empty bowl and walks over to Lois.

"It's right there," she says, pointing to a mug that's sitting right next to the coffee pot.

Lois frowns. That's even worse. She looks down at Jo'an, who's staring up at her expectedly.

"Fine, I'll taste it," Lois says while grabbing the mug and bracing herself for the worse. "But no more making coffee, you could've burned this place down."

Lois closes her eyes and takes a small sip.

"Oh my god," she murmurs.

_On second thought._

"Is it right?" Jo'an asks.

"It's perfect," Lois moans and takes a much longer sip.

Jo'an giggles. No one but her mother acts this way about coffee.

"Your cereal's on the table," Jo'an says while putting her bowl in the sink. "I didn't pour the milk because I didn't know when you were going to wake up; and I didn't want it to get soggy," she rambles while dragging a chair into the kitchen. She knows better than to just lift it up over her head. She had to learn early what she can and can't do in front of people who don't know she's 'special'; and it's always been a little hard, but now that she has to be careful in front of her own mother it's gonna be harder than ever. She positions the chair right in front of the sink and climbs onto it.

"What are you doing, get down; and put that back," Lois says. She'd been so entranced by her coffee she didn't even notice the kid had the chair until she was standing on it.

"But I can't reach the sink without it."

"You don't need to reach the sink."

"But I have to wash my bowl and my spoon."

Lois pauses for a second. She can't deny the idea of the kid cleaning up behind herself is appealing; but she really doesn't need her falling off the chair and breaking her arm or something. She compromises by standing beside Jo'an and holding onto the chair; that way she could catch the kid should she fall.

"Are you going to eat?" Jo'an asks when she's finished.

"No, I think I'm good with this." Lois barely pries her lips from the mug when she answers.

"Okay," Jo'an shrugs.

With a much better sense of balance and coordination than most children twice her age have, Jo'an quickly hops onto the counter and walks over to the refrigerator.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!"

Lois sets her drink down, but she doesn't pay attention to _where_ and it almost falls off the counter. Almost. At the sound of her mother's voice, Jo'an turns to look at her. That's when she spots the falling cup, and quickly bends down to catch it.

Lois panics. The child looks as if she's on her way to hitting the ground, face first. Luckily, her reflexes are golden. She catches the kid around the waist and sets her down on the ground.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" She shouts. She doesn't mean to yell, but the kid just scared the crap out of her. What if she hadn't been able to catch her?

"You're coffee almost fell," Jo'an frowns at Lois and holds the cup out to her.

Coffee? The kid was willing to take a nose dive from the kitchen counter to rescue a cup of coffee? Lois shakes her head and reaches for the cup. She's never been able to understand children; but this one right here, this one's mind works on a whole new level of dysfunctionality.

"Are you okay?"

Lois frowns down at the kid.

_Did she really just ask if __**I**__ was okay?_ she wonders to herself.

"Your hand is shaking," Jo'an points out. Her eyes are focused on her mother's hand; a hand that's trembling really bad. She can't give her the cup. Not right now; she'd just drop it again.

Lois looks down at her hand and her eyes widen. She quickly wipes it against her thigh, trying to rectify its condition. It doesn't work. The kid must have scared her far more than she's willing to admit. She takes a deep breath and braces her palms against the counter. She just needs a few minutes to calm down.

"Are you mad at me?" Jo'an asks.

"No."

"You look like you're mad at me."

"I'm not; just give me the cup," she answers firmly while reaching for it. This time her hand is sturdy.

"And stay off the counter," she adds when Jo'an hands the cup over.

"But I had to get the cereal box so I can put your cereal back."

Lois grabs the box of Reeses Puffs from the top of the fridge. "Next time, ask," She says while walking over to the table. She can put her own damn cereal away.

"I got them before, when you were sleep," Jo'an rebuttals.

"Well you shouldn't have."

"But I needed to eat breakfast and you wouldn't wake up," the child says in an accusing tone.

Lois turns on the little girl. She is _not_ going to make her feel guilty.

"You weren't going to starve. If you would've given me ten more minutes I would've made your breakfast," Lois says while tossing her bowl into the sink.

Her mother's right. Jo'an wouldn't have starved, but she doesn't exactly want to admit it either.

"What am I going to wear today?" Jo'an asks changing the subject.

"The same thing you wore yesterday," Lois says, turning around in time to see Jo'an wrinkle her nose. "What? They're clean. I put them in the wash last night."

"No you didn't; Aunt Chloe did."

"Yeah well, I'm the one who told her to," Lois says before getting them out of the dryer and giving them to her. "Get dressed quickly. We have a long ride."

Lois glances at her watch. If she's taking the kid shopping, she's going to a mall, in Metropolis. There was no way she'd let the kid tag along with her while wearing flannel shirts and farmer jeans.

_3 hours later:_

"It's pink," Jo'an scrunches her nose at the shirt her mother wants her to try on.

Lois rolls her eyes. The kid had been doing so good today; making coffee, cleaning up after herself, getting into the booster seat without complaining, keeping her feet to herself…and now this.

"It's cute."

"But it's pink."

"So…"

"Pink is for girls."

"You _are _a girl."

"Yeah, but pink is for _girls_."

"And who told you that?"

"Uncle Ollie."

Lois lets out a loud sigh of frustration. Oliver's getting on her last nerves where the kid is concerned. First calling her Joey and now telling her she shouldn't like pink; not that she doesn't agree to a certain degree. Pink's not really her favorite color either, but she's an adult, Jo'an's still a kid; a young kid at that. Little girls are _supposed_ to like pink, and ponies, and tiaras, right?

"Ma'am?"

Lois turns around when someone taps her shoulder. It's a sales clerk.

"Look," Lois pauses long enough to read her name tag before continuing, "_Rebecca, _I was going to put it right back where I"-

"Oh no, it's nothing like that," she interrupts with a smile. "I just wanted to tell you that your daughter is absolutely beautiful."

"She's not"-

"She's got the cutest dimples on the planet. The way they stick around even when she's not smiling."

"Yeah but"-

"And the little cleft chin, oh my _gosh_,"

"Look, she's not my"-

"And her hair," Rebecca gasps. Lois glances over at Jo'an. Her hair is pretty amazing. She was going to brush it this morning but didn't really have to touch it at all; which worked perfectly for Lois because she barely likes to do her own hair. That's why she usually sweeps it up into a messy, but decent, ponytail.

"And those _eyes, _with such dark hair too"-

"Rebecca!" Lois interrupts and puts on a smile. She's sure the lady is just being kind, but she has no idea how incredibly not cute the kid becomes as soon as she starts talking. "She's not my daughter."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I thought"-

"Mommy, what about this one?" Jo'an calls when she finally finds one. She hadn't been paying attention to the women talk about her. In fact, her superhearing didn't even kick in. She was too busy looking for a different shirt; because she is _not_ going to wear that pink one. And then she finds it; the same exact shirt but in a different color. The same color her uncle said makes her eyes 'pop'.

"Can I have this one instead?" she asks while skipping over to her mother. Once she's directly in front of her mother, she holds the shirt up as high as she can.

Lois doesn't answer her. The kid just made her look like the worse mother ever; which she isn't, because she isn't a mother at all.

"Please Mommy," Jo'an begs when she catches the look her mother's giving her. She really wants this shirt more than the pink one.

"My name is Lois," she hisses.

"I'm not calling you _that_," Jo'an scoffs before turning her attention back on the clothes.

Out of the corner of Lois's eye, she can see _Rebecca _frown and shake her head disapprovingly. "And what the hell are you looking at?" Lois snaps just before facing the woman. What she really wants is to get the kid; but she figures she'd get into less trouble for attacking another adult.

"Nothing," Rebecca stammers. "I just… she's so beautiful…how could you not want people to know she's yours?"

"Mommy, what about these pants? Do they match?"

Lois's eyes widen and she whirls around to face the little monster.

"What did I just say!"

"What the hell are you looking at," Jo'an answers her mother literally as well as absently. She hadn't really been paying attention and she hopes she got it right. But what she really wants is an answer to _her_ question. "So, do they?" she asks.

Lois closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose.

_Don't kill her, don't kill her, don't kill her…_

"Mommy," Jo'an impatiently calls. "Do these match?"

Lois's eyes fly open.

_I'm gonna kill her._

~~{(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)}~~

Okay guys, blue or green? I'm sure you've noticed I didn't say what color Jo'an's eyes are; and that's because I don't know what color _Clark's _eyes are. I mean, we all know he has a set of wicked 'baby blues', but Tom Welling's eyes are green. And since I tend to picture Tom when reading about Clark, I'm leaning more towards green. What do you think? Majority rules. I promise.


	12. Chapter 12

**Madlenita, c im am a dragon, Aaron Leach, Jeremy Shane, Monaivendork, Cathy: **Thank you for reviewing!

**Asharlee: **thanks! I didn't even think about the Oliver/green arrow thing. That's a really good idea.

**Cathy03: **I'm glad you still like it; and don't worry so much about the bonding. It's definitely gonna happen; I just can't say much without giving things away.

**(): **Lol. Decade huh? Has it really been that long? Thank you for reviewing, and I agree, poor Lois.

**Campbti: **I'm sorry you had to read it twice, sort of. Lol. The 'pink is for girls' bit made me laugh too; if that makes sense. Thank you for reviewing.

**Reeven: "**Jois" huh. Cute. I really like it;)

**Wiiviewer: **You know, I was thinking of doing that. After I was finished of course. This is going to be a Clois fic in the end, but with the amount of time I know I'm going to take to build up to it, and all of the Chlollie interaction, I didn't want Clois fans to feel like I've mislead them somehow.

The Lana/Lois blow out, bound to happen, is all I'm gonna say.

**Cloisfinally123: **You know, I thought of that the second I posted that chapter, but figured it was too late to take it back. It's a really good idea. I'll probably still end up doing it that way. Most of the votes seem to be leaning toward green, and it would be good for the Ollie-liking-Jo'an's-eyes thing.

**Jmjames: **Wow. I think that's the most you've ever written so far. Lol. Thank you! I'm glad you're still enjoying this story.

**KJA: **Thank you for your review. I'm not exactly sure about what you consider 'Lana bashing'; but I feel the need to warn you, Jo'an and Lana aren't going to get along too well in this fic. I hope it doesn't bother you. Thank you again!

~~{(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)~~

"You can't possibly be _serious_!" Clark exclaims when both Oliver and Chloe raise their hands. They'd just taken a vote; and to his surprise, Chloe, his best friend, voted against him. "Chloe?"

"Clark," she carefully avoids his eyes as she answers. "There's no other way."

"There's always another way."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know yet."

"So you just want to sit back and do nothing until you figure it out?" Chloe scoffs letting him know she thinks it's a ridiculous idea.

"I'm with her Clark," Oliver says; then frowns. That didn't come out right. "With this, I'm with her on this…subject… topic. Not as in…. we're not together like… because she still has Jimmy"-

"And even if I didn't have Jimmy we still wouldn't…"

"Of course not. Hey, how's he doing by the way?"

"Good."

"Good. That's good…I'm gonna go grab a beer. Anybody else want one?" He asks without sticking around long enough to get an answer.

"What?" Chloe asks unable to ignore the look Clark's giving her.

"I thought…If she was your daughter, would your answer still be the same?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you," Clark says while standing up and beginning to pace. He needs to move; sitting still is making him restless. Last night had been a long one. Though he'd gotten into bed at a reasonable time, he didn't get any sleep. His mind was working on overtime, just trying to process the events of the day. Meeting his daughter; finding out Lana isn't her mother; finding out _Lois_ is, Lana somehow getting rid of that kryptonite when they were investing the bombing that nearly killed Oliver; and then, last night…

After Lana had fallen asleep, he'd gone to the Talon; just to see…well, his daughter.

Everyone was asleep, and not one of them stirred when he crept inside. Despite his size, he can be pretty quiet when he wants to. He smiled when he spotted the little girl…and Lois. The bed was pretty big, but somehow it didn't seem to be big enough for the both of them. The two were a mass of entangled limbs and sheets. The blanket had fallen to the floor, as did the pillows; and they were both snoring. He snorted softly. Lois would deny to her very last breath that she snored. Not that he knew her well enough to predict her actions or anything like that.

He walked over to the bed and picked up the blanket; then stopped just as he was about to place it over them. More than likely, Jo'an wasn't even cold; and Lois, Lois was sweating; not that he was paying her any attention.

He dropped the blanket, and picked up the pillows instead. Carefully, he tucked a pillow underneath Lois's head first, and softly blew cold air onto her; just enough to cool her down a little. Not that really he cared if she was burning up.

When it was Jo'an's turn, he paused and just stared down at her. She looked different when she was asleep; like a baby. Not like an _infant_ exactly, but like the young child that she is. An innocent child; which, he'd learned she isn't. She's mischievous, and stubborn, and rebellious; and she's… just like her mother. But right then, she looked so innocent and peaceful; just like her mother did when she was sleeping. Not that he really paid much attention to Lois while she was asleep.

Clark bent down a little closer, so that he could get a better look at the child. That was when he noticed her face was wet. He was instantly alarmed. Jo'an shouldn't sweat unless kryptonite was around; but when he bent down even closer, he realized it wasn't sweat. She'd been _crying_; had possibly even cried herself to sleep.

He left then. The guilt was overbearing. He wasn't sure _how_ yet, but those tears were his fault, and he didn't like the sight of them one bit. He needed to fix this. Yesterday. But how?

That's why he didn't get any sleep last night. He couldn't think of one solution to his problem, well, one that made him comfortable anyway. So, he called Chloe and Oliver this morning to help him.

It was a bad idea. They both agree with Jor-el. They want to just give her the ring and hope she ended up where she was supposed to be.

"Besides, it's too late for that now," Clark continues.

Chloe raises her eyebrows at him. "And how do you figure that?"

"Too much has changed already."

"Like what?"

"You and Oliver, for one."

"Nothing's changed between me and Oliver," Chloe answers defensively.

"It's supposed to; according to Jo'an, you and _'Uncle Ollie' _spent the night at a hotel, by yourselves, to get 'alone time'." Clark points out.

"Actually, it was an inn. The McDougal Inn," Oliver says while plopping down onto the couch beside Chloe. She frowns at him.

"What? I googled it; and it's not like we're gonna go anytime soon," he answers defensively.

"Try never."

"I don't know Sullivan; we might have to check out this banshee thing," he jokes; then his smile drops when she doesn't seem to find it funny. "What? She could be dangerous," he quickly makes an attempt to be serious.

"It's Olson now," Chloe corrects him.

"Chloe Olson?" Oliver frowns. That just doesn't sound right.

"It's better than Chloe Queen," she retorts; not knowing why on earth she just said that. Oliver never mentioned wanting to give her his last name.

"You see," Clark says. "You're proving my point. You're fighting against the future Jo'an knows. And if you keep going, _that _future will no longer exist."

"Well, we can't just keep her here."

Clark thinks for a few moments. "Why not?" He asks slowly.

Chloe and Oliver stare at him and wait for him to continue. They're sure he's lost his mind, but as he's their friend, they're willing to give the benefit of the doubt; and time to explain.

"Why not?" He repeats with more confidence. "In the future, I'm no longer with Lana; I'm probably stuck in the phantom zone _again _because I'm nowhere around; and my daughter is being raised by Lois." He pauses dramatically to let the last line sink in. Everyone knows Lois Lane should not raise kids. "If I keep her with me, I can have Lana _and_ Jo'an. It's a win-win." He finishes.

"For whom?" Chloe scoffs at him. She can't believe he just said that.

He frowns at her. What was he missing?

"So let me see if I understand you correctly," Oliver speaks up. "You want Lana, your current girlfriend, to help you raise Jo'an; the child you're going to have with _Lois _in the future?"

"She'll do it," Clark says. He's sure of it.

Oliver stares at Clark with his mouth hanging open. Clark Kent knows absolutely nothing about women. And while usually his nonexistent knowledge about the opposite sex is amusing; this is anything but. _This_ is going to be a disaster.

"What about Lois?" Chloe tries again to make her best friend see reasoning. "Jo'an's gonna want her mother."

"She can see Lois anytime she wants."

"Clark," Chloe pauses and takes a deep breath, he's gonna get really made at her, but it has to be said. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you altered the future?"

Clark stiffens as the memories of a dead Lana, then his dead father flash before his eyes. "This is different. Nothing's going to happen," he snaps.

"You don't know that."

"You don't know that something will," he rebuttals.

"This is just going to be one of those things we'll agree to disagree on. Isn't it?"

He nods his head just as Chloe's phone rings.

"Don't answer that. We still have a lot to talk about."

"It's the hospital Clark; I have to go."

"Is everything okay?" Clark asks.

"Do you need a ride?" Oliver asks at the same time.

"Okay, yes. Ride, no," Chloe shoots an answer for each of the guys over her shoulder.

"So….You're really gonna ask Lana to help you raise your daughter?" Oliver asks, giving him one last chance to back out; but of course Clark doesn't take the hint.

"Yes," he answers, and zips off to the farm to do just that.

"Lana," he calls once he walks into the house.

"Clark?"

Clark frowns. That's not Lana's voice.

"Mom! What are you doing here?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Pompeypearly: **Thank you! And yes Clark's "naivity" is incredibly unbelievable, and Lois (both future and present versions) should definitely kick his ass just for even _thinking_ of this.

**Madlenita: **Thanks! I don't know about showing Lana up; but I do know she'll be pretty uncomfortable for the rest of the story.

**TwistedSky: **Thank you. You're right, Clark really is clueless.

**Evilredknight and Pem21: **Lol. I'm sorry I ticked you off and then just lol'd about it, but I can understand your frustration. Really. When I was writing this chapter, I was like 'god he's dumb' the whole time. And I probably would've been just as irked as you if I weren't the writer. You guys have to wait every four days to see what's going to happen; whereas I already know about the next chapter, and how the story's going to play out, and how it ends. So, I totally understand where you guys are coming from. Also; Originally, Chloe _was_ going to ask Clark about how future Lois was probably feeling right now (you can still kinda see where it is in the story) but I decided to take it out and have Martha talk to him about it later; because if Clark had just disregarded that bit of information, he wouldn't have just been dumb, he would've been a heartless bastard. I hope you like the next chapter and thank you for letting me know what you think!

**NaomiBlue: **As Lois said, 'he's not the brightest bulb in the lantern'. Lol.

**RosaBellaMaria, Aaron Leach, Hermione Double: **Thank you!

**JUJUChick16: ** Honestly, I was thinking of doing that, but there's really not a lot of room for Perry in this fic. There are still lots of other characters (both from the show and made up) that I have to bring into this story. And also, it would kinda be a little redundant, because of the 'Uncle Ollie' reveal; but it was a REALLY good idea. Thank you so much for suggesting it!

**Cathy03: **Lol. Yes, Clark is _completely_ out of his mind. "s/n" means 'side note' right?

**Lilbit4: **Totally agree with you, I wouldn't dare give Jo'an her daddy's smarts.

**Samse: **Thank you! Don't worry; after this chapter you'll see more of Jo'an, Lois _and_ Clark together. Oh, and I forgot what chapter it was, but Jo'an briefly mentioned her father was with the Kandorians. I haven't really elaborated on it much.

**Sififan: **Wow. I think you're the only one who isn't mad at Clark for wanting to keep his daughter. Lol. Thank you so much, and I'm glad you appreciate the scheduled updates. I was starting to feel like they were too many days apart.

**Wtchcool: **yeah, I don't think Lana will be too happy about raising Jo'an either.

**Wizziewoo123 and Brittany34: **Glad you're enjoying the Chlollie moments as I wasn't originally going to add them, but someone asked me too, and I complied. So, thank you for reviewing!

**Asharlee: **Oh my god, what you said about being excited because your name was at the top of the chapter just tickled me. I'm glad you're still satisfied with the story, and that you're liking the Chlollie moments.

**Asharlee: ** See, no need to make a second account. If it's really what you want, I'll put your name up here twice;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Smallville.

That's where Lois is headed; and it's who she's going to kill. She'd just had the day from hell, and it's entirely his fault. Not once did the kid call her Lois, even though she repeatedly asked her to stop calling her mommy. Then finally, she asked her _why _she was doing it; because telling her not to do it over and over again was getting her nowhere fast. And guess what the little monster said? She said:

"I told Daddy I would if he didn't let me go home to _my_ mommy. But he didn't so…"

She said it with a shrug; as if it was no big deal. But it _is _a big deal; not to mention ridiculous.

"You told your dad you'd call me mommy if he didn't send you home," Lois repeated back slowly to the kid just to make sure she heard her right. That made absolutely no sense. Then again, the kid hardly ever made sense to her.

"Why me? Why not call Chloe mommy," Lois tried.

"Because she's Aunt Chloe."

"What about Lana? She's your daddy's girlfriend," she tried again.

Jo'an made a face at her. "I don't like Lana."

"So, you don't like me either," Lois reasoned, thinking she found a little window of opportunity.

"No, but I still love you," had been the kid's response.

Lois sighed heavily then and gave up. The kid was just like her father; always saying stupid little things so she won't be mad at 'em anymore. Jo'an just met her yesterday. There was no way she loved her; but even with that thought in mind, Lois couldn't be angry at her anymore. Just mildly irritated; which is why she had to redirect her anger towards Clark Kent. Irrational or not, this was his fault.

Lois frowns when they finally make it to the farm. There's a car there that she doesn't recognize. She knows all of the Kent's friends and neighbors, all two of them; and neither of them own a Lincoln.

"We're here," Lois announces. She's not surprised when the kid doesn't answer. Her mood's been black ever since she was strapped into her booster seat and told she was going home to her daddy.

"Look Junior, I'm sorry but you can't come home with me again tonight. I"- Lois turns around and notices the child isn't ignoring her. She's actually asleep.

_Thank god._

This is going to be easier than she thought. All she has to do is creep the kid into the house without waking her, and take off.

Quietly she opens the back door. The kid doesn't so much as stir.

_So far so good._

Carefully she unfastens the safety belt and flinches when it makes a loud 'click'. Lois holds her breath when the child starts, and exhales when she doesn't wake up fully. She waits about a full minute before trying again.

As gently as she can, Lois lifts the child out of her seat and carries her toward the house. She frowns when she realizes she has a slight problem. How's she going to open the door without waking Snow White here? Or is it Sleeping Beauty? Cinderella? No, she was the shoe lady Lois remembers vaguely.

Just as she's deciding to brush up on her Disney princesses, the door flies open and Martha Kent comes running out to meet her granddaughter.

Martha wasn't really surprised when Lois called her yesterday. The younger woman contacts her at least once a week; but when she told her that 'Smallville's' kid was getting on her nerves, and asked for advice on how to take care of her, Martha nearly fell out of her seat. She hadn't been back to Smallville for a while. There were too many memories; all good and all painful. But there was no denying it was time to go back. First to chew that son of hers out for keeping this from her, and then to spend a little time with her granddaughter.

"Hello!" She says excitedly; and while Lois is happy to see her, she can't help but to be a little irritated when the kid wakes up.

"Grandma?" Jo'an awakes immediately when she hears her grandmother's voice and turns toward the sound. "Grandma!" she squeals and leaps from Lois arms to Martha's.

"Look at you!" Martha says while staring at the child in amazement. She has her father's everything; his hair, his smile, his dimpled chin. Well, everything except for his eyes, which makes Martha smile even wider. She couldn't stop grinning if she tried. She recognizes those eyes.

"I'm hungry," the little girl announces.

"You _just_ ate," Lois scowls over at the kid.

Martha chuckles. Apparently her granddaughter has her father's appetite as well.

"Go wash up. Supper will be ready in a few minutes," Martha says while putting the child down. Jo'an quickly disappears into the house, leaving the two women alone.

"Lois," Martha says and pulls the young woman into a hug. She can't believe she forgot her manners and didn't so much as greet her yet. "It's so nice to see you dear."

"It's nice to see you too Mrs. Kent," Lois smiles, genuinely pleased to see the woman who is more like a mother to her, "But I should really get going."

"Won't you stay for dinner?"

"Oh, I can't"-  
"I'm not taking no for an answer," Martha says firmly.

"Then why'd you ask?" Lois frowns.

"Sometimes it's nice to let people think they actually have a choice," Martha says with a gentle smile.

"And I don't have a choice," Lois sighs dejectedly.

"You don't have a choice," Martha confirms just before grabbing Lois by the arm and pulling her into the house.

_Jeez, how does Mrs. K always manage to make me feel like a damn child?_ Lois wonders to herself. The woman could definitely give The General a run for his money.

"Smallville here?" she asks.

"In the kitchen."

Good. She really needs her punching bag right now.

"Smallville!" She barks once she sees him.

"Lois," he answers. He's just as happy to see her as she is to be staying for dinner.

"Go get the stuff out of the trunk."

He raises his eyebrows at her and crosses his arms over his chest. "Would it _kill_ you to say please?"

"Probably."

Clark furrows his eyebrows.

"What? Everything in there is for _your _kid. And since I'm not going to make you pay me back, the least you can do is bring the bags inside. Hey Lana," Lois says not only to acknowledge the other woman's presence; but to dismiss Clark as well.

"Hello Lois," Lana says with a tight smile. A tight smile that Lois doesn't notice because she's turned her back on the couple and is now washing her hands in the sink.

Clark warily looks from Lois to Lana. This is the first time the two have come face to face since Lana found out about Lois being Jo'an's mother.

"Go get the kid's stuff," Lois says when she notices Clark hadn't left yet; then she turns around to rummage through the cabinets and drawers. She doesn't even bother to see if he's gone or not. She doesn't have to. Clark usually does what she tells him to do; eventually.

Lana watches Lois as she begins to set the table. It bothers her a little. She knows for a fact she hadn't been told to; and the way Lois seems to know exactly where everything is and goes; just showcases how at home Lois is at the farm.

Lois mutters a low oath and begins searching frantically for it. She hops onto the counter and checks the highest Cabinets.

It's not there.

She checks the bottom cabinets; getting down on her hands and knees and moving all pots and pans out of her way.

Not there either.

She opens the refrigerator, hoping she left it there by accident the last time she visited.

Not freaking there.

She walks over to the dishwasher. Mrs. Kent is always telling her to put it in the dishwasher and not the fridge. Maybe she put it up for her.

It's not there!

"Lois, what are you looking for?" Lana asks. If she could find it before Lois does, it would prove she too knows her way around the house.

"My cup," Lois mutters before swearing again.

"Your cup?"

"Mom!" Lois yells.

It started off as a joke; calling Mrs. Kent 'mom'. Whenever they went out together, Clark would stay as far away from Lois as possible, not wanting people to think they knew each other. So when he called Martha 'mom' Lois did too; then people thought they were siblings. Clark hated it; which only encouraged her to keep doing it. Getting underneath his skin was, and still is, one of her favorite pastimes.

But over the years as she matured, somewhat, she started saying it less and less; until the word only flew out of her mouth during special occasions and emergencies. And not being able to find her cup _is_ an emergency.

"What is it Lois?"

"I can't find my cup!"

"Jo'an has it."

Lois freezes. _Nobody_ is supposed to touch her cup.

"Lois?" Martha calls. "Did you hear me dear?"

Lois walks into the living room. Her eyes zero in on her cup in the brat's hand immediately.

"Did you leave _anything_ in the store Lois?" Clark says as he walks into the house carrying no less than a dozen bags.

"Hand it over," Lois says to the little girl and completely ignores Clark.

"I told Daddy you wouldn't let me use it, but he wouldn't give me another cup," Jo'an says quickly, letting her mother know this isn't her fault.

Lois glares at Clark.  
"It's just a cup Lois," he rolls his eyes at her.

"It's not _just _a cup. It's...it's _mine._"

Jo'an cocks her head to the side.

"Your phone is ringing," she tells her mother. "Do you want me to go get it?"

"No, I'll get it. I don't need you putting your sticky little fingers on any more of stuff," she mutters the last bit underneath her breath as she walks over to the kitchen to answer her phone.

When Lana sees the cup, she frowns. The way Lois was acting about it, one would've thought it was made of gold; but it's not even glass. It's plastic; and there are cartoon drawings on it. Elmer Fudd and bugs bunny, in fact.

"What's so special about the cup?" she asks Clark, but it's Jo'an who answers.

"Daddy got it for her to match his night light. It's one of her favorite things he gave her besides me," she recites proudly. She's heard that one plenty of times, and occasionally will still ask her mother to use the cup, if only to hear her mommy say she was one of her favorite things.

Clark glances at his mother. He hadn't told her whoJo'an's mother is yet; but she doesn't seem to acknowledge Jo'an's slip on her identity.

"What's wrong Mommy?"

Jo'an hops down from the couch and makes her way toward a somber Lois.

"Stop calling me that," Lois is finally able to say without looking like a bad 'mommy'; because everyone here knows she isn't the kid's mother.

"You don't look happy," Jo'an observes.

"That's because you keep calling me 'mommy' and I'm _not _your mommy."

"No, you didn't look happy before I called you mommy," Jo'an answers choosing to ignore the last part of Lois's sentence.

"She's right dear," Martha chimes in. "I was going to ask you if you're alright as well."

"I'm fine."

"Lois."

"Really"

"Obviously you're not if a child was able to pick up on your mood."

"_She _doesn't count," Lois says pointing a finger at Jo'an. "The kid's not normal"

Clark stiffens and grabs Lana's hand tightly. If she didn't have 'the suit' on right now, he probably would have crushed her fingers.

"What do you mean she's not normal?" He asks. He knew he shouldn't have let Jo'an go with Lois. Who knew what type of _things_ she did in front of Lois last night or this morning.

"The kid keeps calling _me _mommy," Lois says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Don't you know how annoying and not normal that is? Honestly, you should probably send her back to her mother if she misses the woman so much she'd call a complete stranger mommy. And today, she told me she loves"-

"Lois," Martha interrupts; she can easily tell the younger woman is just using her rambling to change the subject.

"Okay, okay; Jimmy's out of the hospital."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Lana frowns.

"It is."

"Then why does it sound like a bad thing?" Clark asks.

"Because it is," Lois sighs. "Not for him; for me. He needs to stay with Chloe so she can take care of him; and there isn't much room in The Talon for the three of us. So; because Chloe's a little strained financially because of the wedding, and hospital bills, I told her she could stay there with Jimmy, and that I'd move out."

"Where are you going to go?" Martha asks.

"I don't know. Metropolis probably," she shrugs. "Rent's high, so is the crime rate, but I figure if I budget my money right; I should be able to afford the necessities like food and water. I don't really need furniture or cable," she frowns. "I'm gonna miss cable; but hey. I should save on gas with a shorter commute. And"-

"Nonsense Lois; you'll stay here at the farm. You and Jo'an can share my room."

Clark and Lana's jaws drop; neither of them trusts their vocals to work.

"Yay!" Jo'an hops up and down excitedly. Her mommy's going to live here, with her and her daddy.

"Don't get too excited there Junior, I'm not moving in."

"Lois," Martha gets up and walks over to her. "This is another one of those instances where you don't have a choice," She says seriously. "You've always been like a daughter to me and Jonathan. He'd turn over in his grave if he knew you were struggling and I allowed it."

Lois gave in then. Who is she to make the man who had been more of a father to her than The General turn over in his grave.

"Fine, but just until I get on my feet," she says; but it ends up sounding more like she's asking for permission.

Martha just smiles and heads for the kitchen. "Dinner should be ready," she calls over her shoulder.

Jo'an is the first to follow, and Lois quickly catches up to her. "Give me that," she says while snatching her cup away. She's suddenly in a much better mood.


	14. Chapter 14

**Wizziewoo123: **That's okay, I don't really like Lana either, and I'm glad you like the fact that I post the next update date. Thank you!

**Second storey stairwell: **'Cause I'm retarded. Just kidding; once, a person reviewed my story and told me that it'd been a week since I posted and that it wasn't fair to the readers, so I hurried and finished the chapter I was working on. But when I tried to post it, the site wouldn't let me. It was about 2:00am; and I felt really guilty, so I stayed up until the site let me post. It was 5:00am, and I've been posting at that time since then. So maybe I wasn't kidding, and I'm actually retarded. Lol.

**Cathy:** Um…I know I said about twenty chapters but with all of the Chlollie requests, I think this fic is going to be longer than that. Sorry. lol.

**Jeremy Shane, c im am a dragon, and Madlenita: **Thank you!

**Wtchool and jade2nightwing: **Thank you! I agree, Martha's great.

**Sra. Queen: **Thank you! Don't worry about your English. You're doing way better than me. I _only_ know English; I wish was fluent in another language as well.

**Framework4: **I'm sorry I repeat myself and no, I don't have any children of my own. Just a goddaughter who is the same age as Jo'an; and no, I don't think she'd be able to keep secrets like that; but then again, my goddaughter is a human child. Jo'an is not. I'm assuming she had to learn early how to keep a secret, and how to lie to protect said secret. Especially because she goes to a public school.

Personally, I don't think Lois is _dumb_ for not figuring out Jo'an is hers. If she was a guy, then yeah, she'd be pretty slow; but since Lois is a woman, and women tend to give birth to children, and Lois _knows _she didn't give birth to anyone….

and I get that this is 'Smallville' and children traveling from the future is relatively normal; but I just don't think Lois would automatically assume that's what happened. Also, she's probably in a bit of denial too.

As far as the timeline being damaged, maybe I want Clark to learn the hard way that he should do as Jor-el says. But thank you for sharing your concerns with me.

**Crazyforfanfic2008: **Thank you so much! I'm glad you finally remembered to review. lol

**Asharlee: **You live in the future huh? That must be nice. Lol.

**Lilbit4: **I laughed when I read the 'Dummy Clark' part.

**Pem21: **I have an idea; and don't take this the wrong way, but maybe you should write your own. I'm serious, That's how I got into writing fics in the first place. When I was watching Smallville, I'd get frustrated because things weren't going the way I wanted them to, so I just took out parts that I liked and imagined things going differently. You can do that with this fic; It's a real good stress reliever, and you seem to have a lot of it. Hell, you can even post it when you're done if you like, I don't care. I'll give you all the permission you need.

**Cloisfinally123:** haha. I don't think I'd be able to accommodate you with the earlier posts. Sorry. But thanks for reviewing.

**Moonlitdreams: **I'm sorry for my little mistakes but I don't know if I can get a beta for this story. With my promise to post every four days, it'd be nearly impossible for a beta reader to make corrections for me by my deadline every time. But I'll try to look over my chapters a little more carefully.

**Reeven: **You're funny. And I'm glad you liked the cup story.

**Cathy03: ** The 'territory fight' between Lois and Lana was one of my favorite parts too. Thank you. I'm so glad you like the story so much.

**Samse: ** I really hope you're satisfied with this chapter.

**Campbti: **Not really a big Clark fan either, Kal is pretty fun though. Lol. Thank you!

**JUJUchick16: ** *giggles* you want to make sure Martha is 'getting some'? I'm not exactly sure how I should make a reference to that. Maybe you can help me out with that, and I'll see where I can stick it.

**Jmjames: **Wow. I had no idea you guys would like the cup story so much. Thank you! I don't mind that your reviews are getting longer. Lol.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Grandma, can I have some more?"

"Of course you can. What do you want?"

Dinner had been going surprisingly good so far. Martha, being the fabulous hostess that she is, kept everyone entertained with stories from Washington. Of course, they weren't as interesting as Smallville stories can be, but her goal was to keep up a steady flow of small talk; not to create tension and awkward moments. And because of how intimately everyone's relationship here is entwined, it's safe to say that any personal stories from one of them would bring about an 'awkward' moment.

Dinner was _definitely_ going way better than anyone expected. That is until…

"Everything."

"Everything?"

"Uh huh."

"Even the string beans?" Lois asks.

"Uh huh."

"What's the difference between these and the ones I made last night?"

"Grandma didn't make them in the microwave," Jo'an answers simply.

Everyone laughs; though they'd been making polite conversations during dinner, no one had really laughed yet. Well, everyone's laughing except Lois.

"Tell me you didn't try to feed my daughter microwaved string beans," Clark smirks.

"They turned out fine," Lois says defensively.

"But you didn't even eat any. I had to eat the whole can by myself," Jo'an scowls because that's not fair. How can her mommy say they turned out fine when she didn't even taste them? They did _not _turn out fine.

And just like that the laughter stops and everyone stares at Lois.

"What?" she asks.

"You made her eat a _whole_ can of string beans?" Clark asks disbelievingly.

"It didn't kill her."

"Lois!"

"What? She lied to me."

"What did she lie about?"

"None off your business. It's already been taken care of."

But it is his business. What if Jo'an lied to protect her secret? She didn't need to be punished for that. He wouldn't allow it.

"It shows, doesn't it? How new Clark is to being a father," Martha says just as Clark is about to demand an answer from Lois.

"Totally," Lois agrees.

"One look at that little face and he thinks she can do no wrong."

"_Exactly_." Finally, someone who doesn't spoil the kid rotten Lois thinks to herself.

"I'll bet whatever Jo'an did, the punishment fit the crime."

"It did," Lois agrees forking a few string beans and holding them out as if displaying them. "She told me she was allergic to these, so she wouldn't have to eat any. So I gave her mine, and Chloe's," she answers before plopping them into her mouth; clearly forgetting she'd just told Clark it was none of his business. And not even realizing she'd been tricked into telling.

"That was a good idea," Martha smiles.

"Thank you." Lois sends a grin Clark's way. If they _had _been siblings, there's no question of who would be the favorite.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Jo'an asks her mother so they can change the string bean subject. She'd rather not get into trouble for them _again_.

"We? Tomorrow's Monday. Don't you go to school?" Lois asks.

"Well,"-

"Please tell me she goes to school tomorrow," Lois cuts Clark off. "I have to work; I can't tote her around all day."

"What makes you think you'll be responsible for her when she's not in school?"

Lois frowns. That is an excellent question. She has no idea why she assumed she'd be taking care of Jo'an. Her daddy's right there; and if this on and off again relationship actually works this time, Lana could very well be on her way to being the kid's stepmother. There really isn't a reason for Lois to be involved in Jo'an's life.

"Can you pass me the pepper Daddy?"

_Interesting,_ Lois thinks to herself.

The kid told Lois she didn't like Lana before; but Lois didn't really think anything more of it until Now. Jo'an hadn't said a word to Lana all evening, never so much as even looked at her. Like everyone else at the table, all eyes and ears were on Martha Kent. But now, it's obvious to everyone that the child is making a conscious effort not to interact with Lana; considering the pepper is sitting next to Lana's plate; and because of where everyone's seated, (Martha at the head, Clark to her right, Lana to his; Lois to Martha's left, Jo'an to hers) Clark would have to reach over Lana's plate to get it, then stand up and reach across the table to pass it to her.

Lana passes the pepper to Jo'an without a word; the kid has single handedly managed to gloomify the whole atmosphere.

"Say thank you," Lois whispers.

Even without superhearing everyone at the table can hear her, not because she's a loud whisper, and she actually is a loud whisperer, but because it's just that quiet.

Jo'an looks at her mother. She doesn't want to say thank you to Lana. She doesn't want to say _anything_ to Lana.

"Junior," Lois warns.

"It's okay Lois. She doesn't have to say any"-

"Thank you," the little girl mumbles, cutting Lana off.

"You're welcome," Lana answers curtly before standing up and grabbing her plate. She needs some air.

"I'll get it dear," Martha says before taking the plate from her and stacking it on top of hers. "Clark, can you help me in the kitchen?"

Clark takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. That was code for 'we need to talk'.

"Lois honey, can you help get Jo'an ready for bed please?" She calls over her shoulder. Technically, it was a question; but Lois knows it's _not _a question. Not really.

"Fine," Lois grumbles. "Come on Lana."

"_What?"_

"I'm not doing this by myself this time. And you two," Lois points her finger from Lana to Jo'an then back at Lana; "seriously need some bonding time. I'm sure it will make Smallville very happy if you started getting along," she finishes; not that she cares about whether or not Clark is happy or not.

"I'll start taking her stuff upstairs. You get started on her bath," Lois orders.

"But I don't want to go with her," Jo'an pouts.

"Uh, Lois, maybe I should take the stuff upstairs and you can"-Lana starts.

"It's easy Lana," Lois interrupts. "Just run the water and make sure she doesn't drown."

"_Mommy,_" Jo'an whines. Her mother can't be serious.

"March!" Lois barks.

She nearly chokes out of amusement when the kid performs a perfect 'about face' and stomps her way toward the stairs.

'_What the hell was that?'_

"Hey Lana," Lois calls to the woman when she begins to follow after the little girl. "If you get the urge to drown her, suppress it."

Lana smiles back at Lois before continuing to take the stairs. Under different circumstances they could've been friends.

~~{(O)(O)(O}~~

"How long is she staying?"

Instead of answering his mother Clark puts away the plate he just finished drying.

"You _are _working on a way to send her home aren't you?"

He inhales deeply before answering.

"I was thinking she could just…_stay."_

Martha nods her head. She figured as much.

"Are you going to tell Lois?"

"What? No!" he answers quickly wondering how his mother could even think of such a thing.

Martha turns the water off and looks her son straight in the eyes. "I'm disappointed in you Clark. How could you do this to her?"

"Who?" he frowns.

"Lois; how could you keep her child from her?"

"She doesn't know Jo'an _is _her child Mom."

"Not her," Martha snaps and tosses an object at Clark. He catches it and frowns down at it. It's Lois's cup.

"You don't think Lois is worried about her little girl right now? You don't think she's searching for her;_ crying_ over her? One of her 'favorite things', Clark!" She points at the cup in his hand.

"I didn't think"-

"No Clark, you didn't think."

Clark closes his eyes and runs a hand through his hair. He's thinking now; and remembering the way Lois panicked when she couldn't find Jo'an at the hospital. She was only 'missing' for fifteen minutes. He can't imagine how much of a wreck she must be after going two days without any news on her child.

"Send her home."

Clark opens his eyes so that he can look at his mother.

"Send her home; or tell Lois the truth." She says before walking away and leaving Clark with his thoughts; and an important decision to make.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Thursday, June 24th.


	15. Chapter 15

**Wizziewoo123 and AllieJGK: **Lol, thank you! I'll see what I can do about the Chlollie thing.

**JUJUchick16: **Okay, Grandpa Ben it is. Fist I gotta research him a little; and I might only mention him briefly, but I hope you'll still appreciate it. And thank you for the review. I was a little worried about this chapter. I didn't finish until about 3:00am, so it's probably a little rushed. I was really sleepy and I still had to get up at 5:00am to post it. Not that I'm making excuses;)

**Immery, Jeremy Shane, c im am a dragon, Madlenita, bloodymary2 and Cathy: ** Thank you!

**Wtchcool: **Couldn't agree with you more. Clark and Lana should've been over and done with years ago. Thank you for reviewing.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **lol. The "Hi. I'm your daughter. Raise me." bit tickled me. I'm glad _you're _glad you don't have to wonder when the next chapter will be posted.

**Cathy03:** Agreed. I thought Lois was being very insensitive toward Jo'an's feelings about Lana; but she figured the two needed to start getting along if they were going to be a family; at least for Clark's sake. Not that she'd ever admit she was trying to do Clark a favor;) Thank you!

**Reeven: **Glad you're still liking this fic (despite the Chlollie moments and such) And yeah, I still think you're funny 'cause you usually make me laugh when I read your reviews; and I _always_ need a laugh. This time was no exception. Thank you!

**Pem21: **I don't know if you'll see this; I kinda got the impression you won't follow this story anymore, but I don't mind _constructive _criticism. It actually helps me; but your criticism wasn't helpful at all.

Don't just say Jo'an is annoying. Tell me _how _she's annoying. I can't exactly fix her if I don't know what's wrong with her.

Don't tell me you're afraid the story is going to become totally clichéd without telling me what that entitles. What, in your opinion, would be a cliché? I can't avoid it if I don't know what it is.

As far as the characterizations are concerned, totally get that though. Lois and Jo'an's relationship is sort of modeled after the relationship between Serena and Rini on 'Sailor Moon'; which was my favorite show growing up. Thanks for trying to help me though.

**First finder: **It's my fault Clark's an idiot in this story. I was/ am really mad at him for the way he treated Lois at Chloe's wedding, and I guess it's showing in my writing. I'm venting.

Oh, and I wouldn't dream of making Lois a rebound. Thank you for your review.

**Cloisfinally123: **Thank you! And it was a very nice try by the way; very tempting indeed. But I really do need to pace myself. Thank you again, and I'm glad you liked how Martha knocked some sense into Clark.

**Asharlee: **I apologize; I didn't mean it like that. I just liked what you said. A lot. I think it's a clever way of looking at things. It must suck to get everything later. Also; you're the second person to ask me if there will be a glimpse into the future; and the answer is probably not. _Unless_, I do some kind of sequel or companion piece. Sorry. Thank you for your review though; and again, sorry for making you seem like a 'retard'. It wasn't my intention.

**Samse: **Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, and Jo'an, and ditsy Clark. Lol.

**CoLDBLAde: **Thank you so much for understanding. It _is_ really hard to introduce a new character. Also; thank you for letting me know it'd be okay if I couldn't post on my scheduled time. It's starting to get a lot harder with work, and my retarded decision to post two stories at the same time, _and _I've got my godchildren for the summer. Boy are they attention seeking little monsters. When they're awake, I'm all theirs; they don't share me with anyone or anything, not even my beloved laptop. But it's okay because a lot of situations, like Jo'an calling Lois mommy after she told the sales lady the kid wasn't hers (That is _really_ embarrassing by the way) and some of the things Jo'an says come straight from their mouths. They're six and eight. But I'll still try to post on time because I already said I would; and I always try to keep my word.

**Jmjames: **Wow, thank you. I think that was one of my favorite lines too, but I can't tell if it was a joke or a threat; probably both. Again, thank you; and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Don't you ever knock?"

Clark shuts the door quickly. This isn't the first time he's gotten a glimpse of a semi-naked Lois Lane; or the second; or the third. But this time it was all her fault. It's barely 6:30am. What's she doing up so early?

"Here." Lois opens the door and gently shoves a yawning Jo'an toward Clark before handing him her change of clothes. "That never"-

"That never happened. I didn't see anything," he recites by heart.

She frowns at him; which in turn makes him raise his eyebrows at her. She didn't honestly think she could keep singing the same tune without expecting him to pick up on the lyrics eventually.

"You should wake her up," Lois glances downward before shutting the door in his face; not necessarily in a rude way, but not exactly in a nice way either.

Clark looks down at the little girl and smiles. She's fallen back asleep…standing up….and leaning against his leg.

"Jo'an," Clark taps her shoulder lightly.

She doesn't respond; and though the purpose of shaking her _is_ to wake her; he does so gently, not really wanting to. Since she arrived, he's had very little contact with her. She's been with Chloe, and Lois, his mother, and even Lana for a brief amount of time; but this is the first time he's been alone with her. It's…_nice_. More than nice in fact; but she really _does_ have to wake up now.

"Jo'an, time to get up," he says a little louder. Still no response. He could give her a few more seconds, right?

When he tries to bend down to pick her up, she shakes her head and holds on tighter to his leg. "Shh," he murmurs repeatedly while lifting her up with one arm and carrying her into the bathroom. Gently, he sits her down onto the counter and catches her when she slumps to the side. It might not hurt her if she fell, but it _would_ be hard to explain any damages she'd do to the bathroom tile.

He dresses her quickly. It's a lot easier than he thought it would be; and he mentally pats himself on the back for a job well done.

"Jo'an, you have to brush your teeth now," he tells her. That's something he can't do for her while she's asleep.

"Sleep," she mumbles with a pout that makes Clark Kent lose all of his resolve. He can't do it. He can't wake her up. Carefully he leans her against the wall and heads toward his parent's room. He'll ask Lois to do it. She seems to be immune to Jo'an's frowns, pouts and cute little faces.

He pauses at the door, his knuckles mere inches from making contact with it. He can only imagine the look on Lois's face when he tells her he can't even wake his own daughter up. She'd tease him for years. No, for…_ever. _There's no way he'd give her the satisfaction he decides before turning away and marching back into the bathroom with a newfound determination.

"Jo'an Lane Kent!"

Jo'an's eyes spring open immediately and she hops down from the counter. "I didn't do it!" she exclaims.

Clark smiles to himself. Lois would've enjoyed that.

"Brush your teeth," he says while handing her a toothbrush with a dollop of paste on top.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"But Mommy always lets me brush my teeth _after_ I eat breakfast so my food won't taste tooth-pasty."

Huh. He hadn't thought of that.

"Okay, breakfast first. What do you want?"

"Cereal."

"I hope you like Count Dracula. It's the only cereal we have," Clark tells her as they head downstairs, Jo'an in the lead.

"Uh…" Jo'an stops on the last step and looks back at her father. "Maybe I shouldn't eat any of Mommy's cereal."

"What makes you think it's Lois's cereal?"

Jo'an gives her father a look that's clearly says 'are you serious?'

"Okay, it's Lois's cereal; but I'm sure she won't mind," he says confidently as he walks past her and toward the kitchen.

"You were sure she wouldn't mind if I used her cup yesterday too," Jo'an calls from behind him.

He rolls his eyes at her; but only because she can't see him. She couldn't be more like Lois if she tried; but she does have a point.

"Can I have apple jacks?" Jo'an asks as she hops onto the counter and sits next to the sink so that she has her father's whole attention.

"We don't have apple jacks."

"Can't you run to the store _really_ fast and get some?"

"I could, but I shouldn't leave you home alone."

"Mommy's here; and you won't be gone for a _long _time right?"

And she makes another good point.

"Okay, but stay here. Do _not_ leave this kitchen. Not even for a second; okay?" Clark orders in the best parenting voice he can muster up.

"Okay," Jo'an agrees quickly; a little too quickly for Clark's taste.

"I mean it," Clark warns.

"_Okaaaay-yuh_."

~~{(O)}~~

"What are you doing?" Clark asks no more than half a minute later when he comes home to find his daughter tampering with the coffee maker.

"Making mommy's coffee."

Clark raises his eyebrows and watches her work. She _does_ seem to know what she doing.

"Do you make Lois's coffee a lot?"

"Every morning."

"She taught you how to make coffee?" He scoffs. Leave it to Lois to teach a _child_ how to make her coffee just so she won't have wake up and do it herself.

"No, I watched her do it a lot of times; and then when her arms got broken, I made it for her 'cause she couldn't do it by herself anymore."

_Arms got broken? _

"_Both_ of them?" Clark asks in alarm.

Jo'an nods her head.

"Ho-how'd she break _both_ of her arms?"

Jo'an ignores the question and starts fixing her breakfast at the table.

"Jo'an, I need you to tell me the truth okay?" Clark takes the bowl away and kneels down beside her. "Did someone hurt Lois?"

Secretly, he hopes she got into a car accident or fell or _something_. Sure; she's bossy, and pushy, and annoying; and there are times when he just wants to push her out of a window; but that doesn't mean he wants anyone to hurt his…his best friend's cousin. But Jo'an nods her head. Someone _did _hurt Lois. Someone broke _both_ of her arms.

"Who?" Clark whispers. It takes all of his willpower to keep his voice controlled. He'll find the person. Right now. And then, he'll deal with him before he even gets the chance to hurt Lois Lane.

"It was an accident" Jo'an mumbles. "I wanted to play on the swings some more but Mommy said no…"

Clark freezes, unable to move or breathe. He can imagine that; he can imagine a little girl wanting to play on the swing sets for just a few more minutes. He can imagine her mother picking her up and attempting to carry her away. He can imagine the little girl squirming to get down, and accidently hurting her mother because she was too strong for her own good.

"Coffee."

The sound of Lois's voice makes him snap out of his trance-like thinking process. Usually he can hear her coming from a mile away, literally, but he'd been so lost in thought…

"Thanks Smallville," she says as she pours herself a cup.

Clark doesn't tell her that she's welcome. He just stares at her. He feels _sorry _for her because of what Jo'an just told him; that's the only reason why he asks her what's wrong when he sees her staring down into her cup with a frown on her face. Usually he wouldn't have cared if she had a problem with her coffee, but she got hurt because of him; because he's nowhere around to help raise their daughter.

"The kid made this didn't she," Lois states, not asks. She's a hundred percent sure the kid made the coffee.

"I'll put on another pot," he offers.

"What for, she makes it better than you; but I thought I told _you_ no more coffee making young lady," Lois narrows her eyes at Jo'an.

"I thought you changed your mind," Jo'an answers softly. She keeps her head down, eyeing her cereal but not attempting to eat it. She can't even look at her mother. Even though it was a long time ago, she still feels bad about hurting her.

"Well I didn't change my mind….but I guess as long as someone is here with you when you make it, it's fine. Deal?"

"Deal," Jo'an agrees quietly.

Lois glares at Clark. 'What'd you do to her,' she mouths.

He shrugs and mouths 'nothing' back at her. "But we need to talk."

"Can't," Lois answers after a quick glance at her watch. "I gotta go. Shouldn't you two be leaving too?"

"I'm not going with you Mommy?" Jo'an asks because she's really confused. Her mother always takes her to school before going to work.

"My name is Lois, and I'm going to work remember? You gotta go to school."

"But my school"-

"Uh Jo'an, you're going to a new school, my old school, here in Smallville," Clark interrupts before Jo'an say anything about her old life that'll pique Lois's curiosity.

"Cornfield Elementary?" Jo'an asks with a serious frown on her face.

Lois chokes on her coffee. "Cornfield Elementary? I swear there are times when I really believe the kid has a fighting chance despite you Smallville. Cornfield elementary," she laughs again. "Where'd you hear that?"

"My mommy," Jo'an shrugs.

"Well, it sounds to me like me and your mommy would get along great," Lois says seriously.

"Let's go Jo'an," Clark says while tugging on the little girl's hand and leading her to the truck. He's just a little annoyed by the things Lois has taught his daughter about him in the future.

"Wait Smallville, come get her seat out of my car."

"I'm not putting that in the truck."

"Afraid you'll look like a soccer dad?" Lois smirks. "It's the law Kent, get over yourself. Besides, don't you want your daughter to be safe?"

"Lois, it's not exactly _safe _for Jo'an to sit in the passenger seat of a pick up either; add that _thing _and"-

"Fine. Give me the keys," she interrupts and walks over to him.

"Keys?"

"To the truck."

Clark frowns at her.

"Well? I don't have all day," Lois scowls when he doesn't forfeit the keys immediately.

"You want us to _trade _cars?" he asks.

Lois rolls her eyes and snatches the keys from him and climbs into the truck. She just told him she doesn't have all day.

Once she's inside and her seat belt is buckled, she holds her car keys out him.

"If you so much as put a dent in my car Kent, I will kill you."

He rolls his eyes at her and reaches for the keys. She snatches them back.

"_Slowly," _she emphasizes before placing the keys to her baby in the farm boy's hand and starting the engine.

"Mommy wait!" Jo'an calls while knocking on the window. Lois rolls it down and leans down over the window sill.

"What?"

Jo'an kisses her mother goodbye causing Lois to momentarily lose the ability to speak.

"Hope you get your Pulitzer," Jo'an says.

"Uh...Thank you...Hope you...don't get suspended." She says before driving off. It was the first thing she could think of.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Monday, June 28th


	16. Chapter 16

**Pompeypearly, Jeremy Shane, Jessi009, 1000GreenSun, Madlenita, kaka96 and Smallville lover2010: **Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

**Reeven: ** Thank you! You know, when you do all caps like that it makes me feel like you're yelling at me. I'm so glad you like the story _that_ much. Oh, and future Lois is probably freaking out something awful; but you want to read about it, don't you?

**Faerie ali and winthjo: **Martha says he has to, but who knows what Clark is going to do or what might get in the way. Thank you so much for reviewing

**Hermione double: ** She may be Clark's kid, but she's also Lois's. Getting suspended from school is a definite possibility. Lol. Thank you!

**Wtchcool: ** Lol. Thank you! And I'm sure that's what Clark was thinking when he heard the story; you know how he blames himself for every little thing.

**Cathy03: **Thank you. But it's still a little too soon for them to be 'doting father' and daddy's little girl' they're still feeling each other out, so to speak. Hope that doesn't upset you. I know how much you want Clark and Jo'an to bond. They still have time. Sort of.

**Katlynne: **Wow, what a review! Thank you. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story; and you're review just brightened _my _day. Oh, and I'm really glad you like Jo'an, as well as Jo'an with Lois. They crack me up too. I know that kinda doesn't make sense 'cause I'm the author; but once I create a character, they usually run off and do their own thing. I just have to keep up with 'em. lol. Thank you again.

**Asharlee: **lol. You scared the crap out of me. I thought I really offended you.

**JUJUChick: **Thank you! I'm happy to oblige. Oh, and I'm glad you liked the cornfield elementary joke. It seemed like a Loisy thing to say/ tell her daughter.

**Lilbit4: **Thanks. I agree, when I don't like a story or where it's headed, I just stop reading it. Well, that's when I used to actually have time; nut ever since I've been _writing _them I really haven't had time to read any fics. Which is sad 'cause I really do enjoy them.

**Jmjames: **thank you! I was a little worried about the 'coffees story' wasn't sure if it'd be too graphic or whatever; but everyone seems to be okay with it.

**Samse: **thanks! That was one of my favorite parts too.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **don't worry about posting late. As long as you get it in before 5am on post day (which is right now) I'll be able to comment on your review.

Thank you for understanding that Jo'an isn't exactly like other children. I've gotten a few comments about her being too smart but I honestly didn't make her smart just cause. I really thought about it. Chloe's made a few remarks about Clark's 'freakishly good memory'. I figured if Jo'an has a good memory as well, it's easier for her to learn and retain knowledge. But that's just me.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"I can't _believe_ you really made me sit in this Daddy."

Clark looks at his daughter via the rearview mirror and chuckles to himself. He needs a camera. She's not looking at him, but is staring out the window with her arms crossed over her chest. She exhales loudly, causing a few strands of her hair to dance around her face wildly.

"Lois would kill me if I didn't," he tells her before swinging his eyes back onto the road.

"Well, I wasn't gonna tell her. Were you?"

He shakes his head in amusement. "That's not the point."

"What' the point then?"

"The point is, Lois _never_ lets me drive her car."

Jo'an looks at her father and frowns. That's not a very good point. So what if her mommy never lets him drive her car. She never lets her drive either. Why does that mean she has to sit in the baby booster?

"_You're _the only reason she's letting me drive her car. She wants you to be safe; and she doesn't think you'd be safe in the truck." He smiles at her and watches her process what he's telling her. "She must care about you even if she doesn't show it. Don't you think we should respect her wish?"

She looks out the window again. He's right, but that doesn't mean she has to like it.

"Why do you and Mommy hate each other?" she asks instead of answering his question.

Clark shifts uncomfortably. This conversation can go more wrong than right in so many different ways.

"We don't _hate _each other. We just don't _like _each other that much."

"Why?"

"Well uh; I don't know why Lois doesn't like me exactly," he answers; and he doesn't. It kinda bothered him at first because most people usually like him right off the bat. Not Lois; it's been four years and there still isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't want to give her a good swift kick in the-

"Well then why don't you like _her?_" Jo'an interrupts his thoughts.

"She's bossy, she's rude, and she's always getting into trouble," Clark lists quickly and a little more harshly than he means to. He's still a little riled up after thinking about all the different ways Lois irked him.

"Does that mean you don't like me too Daddy?" Jo'an interrupts quietly, but he still hears her.

"No, of course not! Why would you ask me that?" He asks in alarm.

She keeps her eyes trained on the window, not really paying much attention to the scenery.

"Everybody says I'm just like my mommy," she shrugs and Clark easily puts two and two together. If he doesn't like Lois based on her personality, then it stands to reason he wouldn't like anyone who is just like her. Like his daughter

"Jo'an, I…it's just… well Lois…" He sighs heavily "Can I tell you a secret?"

Despite her efforts to keep her face impassive, Clark can see that Jo'an's interest is piqued.

"You can't tell anybody," he continues.

"Okay," she answers as she nods her head in agreement.

"I mean it. You can't tell Aunt Chloe or Lois or"-

"_Okay. _I won't tell anybody.

"Promise?"

She rolls her eyes at him before promising. She knows how to keep a secret.

"Okay, Lois…Lois is one of my best friends. And sometimes, when she's not getting on my nerves, I don't know what I'd do without her."

There. He's finally admitted it. Not only out loud for his daughter's sake, but to himself as well.

Jo'an smiles brightly and Clark lets out a sigh of relief.

"Grandpa Ben!" She squeals.

_What? _

"Daddy, I just saw Grandpa Ben! Can I go see him? Please?"

Clark frowns. Grandpa Ben? And though they'd just passed Ben Hubbard's farm, he still finds himself hoping she's referring to a different man named Ben.

Who's he kidding; his daughter's calling Ben Hubbard, his dad's best friend, 'Grandpa'; which means…Well he'd rather not think of what it means actually.

"Daddy, Please?"

"We can't Jo'an. He's not your grandpa yet. He won't know who you are."

"I _know_ that. I just want to see him that's all. I promise."

"You'll be late for school. Maybe later."

He would've given in if he'd seen her pout, but as it were, he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts at the moment. It bothered him slightly that his mother had moved on; but something else was on his mind. Something much more troubling.

"At home, in your time, who do you live with?" Clark asks as nonchalantly as he can manage.

"Mommy," Jo'an answers shortly. Clark doesn't realize it; but she's still pouting over the fact that he wouldn't stop so that she could say hello to her Grandpa.

"Just Lois?"

"Yeah."

That's good. So far anyway.

"Does…does Lois have a boyfriend?"

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Clark nearly mashes down on the breaks. "What does 'sometimes' mean?"

"Sometimes she has a boyfriend and sometimes she doesn't," Jo'an answers simply.

"Well, is it the same guy?"

"Sometimes," Jo'an shrugs. "Why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad," Clark answers; but he is. In the future, he's nowhere around and the thought of other men playing a role, no matter how insignificant, in his daughter's life just doesn't sit well with him. He takes a few deep breaths attempting to calm himself down. It works.

"Why don't _I _live with you and Lois?"

"Because you live with the Kandorians."

_Kandorians?_

"Why?"

Jo'an sighs and answers with very little enthusiasm. "Because you had to protect the earth from Zod; and you had to protect your people from humans." This _is _her least favorite story after all as it's the reason she doesn't have a daddy.

"I don't understand," Clark frowns.

Jo'an begins to stare out the window again. If she didn't hate this story so much, this might actually be a little bit funny to her. Her daddy is asking all the same questions she asked when she was younger.

"When the Kandorians came to earth, they didn't have any powers. Zod promised them he would get them because it was their birthright."-

"Did they get their powers?" Clark interrupts with a gulp. He could only imagine the horror a group of group kryptonians could cause under Zod's rule.

"Yes, but you used the Book of Rao to send everyone away…except for Aunt Kara. You told her to stay and watch Mommy."

Clark frowns. He's put a few of the pieces together to get a general idea of what happened, or what will happen; but there's just one small thing he doesn't understand.

"Why didn't I use this Book of Rao to just send away the Kandorians? Why did I go with them?" Earth is his home. He finds it hard to believe he'd just up and leave it.

Jo'an closes her eyes and leans her head against the window. That had been one of the very first questions she's asked her mother when she and Aunt Kara first tried to explain to her why her Daddy wasn't around.

"The Book of Rao banishes _all _Kryptonians from earth. Forever," She explains simply.

That explanation only makes Clark's frown deepen. "If the Book of Rao banishes all kryptonians, then why was Kara able to stay?"

"You gave her a special bracelet. It made her human," Jo'an sighs. She doesn't understand why he couldn't have worn a special bracelet too.

_Blue Kryptonite, _Clark thinks to himself. That's what the special bracelet must've been made of.

"I gave you a special bracelet too; didn't I?" He asks. He's not quite sure how he managed to not only leave his home behind, but his child as well. It must've taken _all _of his strength, and then some.

"No. you didn't know I was going to be born yet," Jo'an answers quietly.

Clark parks the car; barely registering that they're at the school now. So, he didn't know about his daughter before he left? He frowns and gets out of the car to help Jo'an out of her seat. He doesn't know if that bit of news should make him feel better or worse.

"Daddy," Jo'an looks Clark straight in the eyes and for the briefest second he feels as if he's looking into Lois's. "If you _did _know I was coming, would you still go with the Kandorians?" That's the one question no one could answer for her. Not her mother, Aunt Chloe, Aunt Kara, Uncle Ollie; no one but her daddy. And now that she's about to get an answer, she's a little more than nervous.

"No," he answers seriously while kneeling before her and taking her small hand in his. "I would've stayed so that I could meet you. Even if you're mommy is Lois Lane." He grins at her before pinching her nose affectionately. She giggles in response. That had been the answer she'd hoped to get.

"Come on, you're gonna be late," he says while pulling her out of the car and shutting the door. He has absolutely no problem finding the administrative office as _absolutely_ nothing has changed since he attended.

Quickly, he fills out all of the necessary forms. Thanks to Oliver, he has everything she needs from shot records to a birth certificate.

"Huh," he grunts to himself while giving the papers a once over. He'd put Lois's name down first on the emergency contact as well as pick up list. But it doesn't mean anything he rationalizes. Lois is probably going to be the most available out of everyone else on the list.

"Okay Mr. Kent. Everything's in order. I'll take her down to her classroom."

"Uh actually Mrs. Jones," she is yet another thing about Smallville Elementary that hasn't changed, "Can I talk to her first?"

"Of course," she says with a smile before walking away to give him some privacy. She's seen this a million times. Parents often have a hard time letting their children go, especially the fathers, and _especially_ the good ones.

"No superspeed," Clark says lowly and kneels down so that they're at eye level once Mrs. Jones leaves.

"I know."

"No telling anyone about your abilities."

"I _know_," Jo'an rolls her eyes, but he doesn't stop. This is important.

"No letting anyone _see_ you use your abilities."

"Daddy,"-

"Or"-

"Daddy!" Jo'an exclaims and places both hands on his shoulders. "I know all the rules."

"Okay, you guys ready?" Mrs. Jones says to announce her presence.

"Yep," Jo'an answers before her father can and barely says goodbye before turning to follow the woman; but then she stops and turns back around hesitantly before placing a shy kiss on her father's cheek.

"Bye Daddy," she says before skipping off to catch up with Mrs. Jones.

"Be safe Jo'an," he whispers.

She looks back at him and rolls her eyes. "I _know,_" she whispers back.

He grins at her back. She's that quick to turn it on him. He hadn't meant for her to hear him. For a second, he'd forgotten she had superhearing. For a second, he was just a father, wishing his child luck; and she'd turned back around to remind him that she didn't need it.

He stares at her until she turns the corner, and then another, and a few more before making it to her classroom. He watches her even after she'd been introduced to the classroom and to her new teacher. He watches the teacher stretch out her hand toward his daughter as a greeting.

"It's nice to meet you Jo'an. I'm Ms. Robinson," the teacher tells her.

He watches his daughter frown at the woman's hand, then back up at her face.

"I'm left handed. I shake with my left," she says.

Clark shakes his head in amusement before leaving. She couldn't be more perfect if she tried.

~~{(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Oliver Queen?"

"Aren't I on the list?" Oliver frowns. Never in his whole life has he _not _been on "the list". Not for anything. If he's not on _this_ list, he's going to kill Clark Kent.

"I uh… yes but, _thee _Oliver Queen?"

Oliver flashes the woman one of his most charming smiles.

"Do you need to see my I.D.?" he asks, knowing that she'll let him slide.

"No, no that won't be necessary," she grins at him.

He smiles back for about twenty seconds before he realizes she's not gonna stop.

"So uh, do I go get her or…"

"On no, no, no; just have a seat over there and someone will bring her to you shortly."

But it's a very long shortly. Maybe not literally, but the way the woman's just staring at him is kinda making him a little uneasy.

"Uncle Ollie?" he hears a small voice say and he jumps out of his seat.

Finally!

Oliver rushes to his niece and reaches for her. She stiffens.

'_What the hell?'_

"Not happy to see me today?" he fakes a pout. Sort of.

"Where's Aunt Chloe?" she asks suspiciously.

"Taking care of Jimmy I guess. Why?"

"You're only allowed to pick me up when there's an emergency."

"This _is_ an emergency. Clark's busy, Lana's with Clark, and Lois is at work. Who else is going to pick you up? And what do you mean by "allowed"."

"Mommy says it's 'cause you don't know how to say no to me," Jo'an shrugs.

"So?"

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders again. That's her thought on the matter as well.

"Shall we?" Oliver opens the door and waits for Jo'an to pass; but she doesn't move. "What's wrong now?"

"Another rule, "Joey doesn't have to walk if Uncle Ollie's around"," she quotes and holds her arms out to him.

"Is that right?" He smirks before lifting her easily and leaving the office. Behind him, he can hear a bunch of 'awwwws' and he walks even faster to his car.

"So, how was school?" he asks once she's buckled up inside the car. "No, scratch that," he says quickly. That's always the worst way to go about starting a conversation with a child as the answer is always 'fine' or 'good'.

"How many times did you get into trouble?" he asks instead.

She glances at him briefly and wonders if he'll be able to tell she's lying if she says 'zero'.

"Six, seven, _twenty; _come on, you can tell me. I won't tell your parents. I promise," Oliver teases.

"It doesn't matter," Jo'an sighs before pulling out an envelope and handing it to her uncle. Once he gets to a red light, he opens it up and reads the letter inside. He laughs; hard. He'd give anything to be at the Kent farm tonight. He slides the note back into the envelope. Lucky for him, it's one of the big ones with the little metal prongs, so he can easily seal it up again.

"What else did you do today?"

"We had to draw what we dreamt about last night," she shrugs.

"Do you have it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well come on, let me see it."

"Okay," Jo'an shrugs. She rummages in her book bag and pulls out a picture that makes Oliver's blood run cold.

"You dreamed about this?" It might've been drawn by a six year old, but there's no mistaken the event. It was Chloe's wedding, and there was the beast.

"Uh huh when I saw him at the hospital, I started having this dream again."

_He? At the hospital?_

"Jo'an, do you know who this is…when he's not like this," Oliver asks while pointing at the monster in the picture.

"Yes," she answers immediately. Her uncle just called her Jo'an instead of Joey. This is no time to play around. She has to answer his questions quickly and do exactly what he says. _Whatever _he says.

"Who is he?"

"Davis."

"Bloom?" He swears and before she can nod her head in confirmation, he's dialing Clark's number.

No answer.

He calls Chloe. He doesn't even wait for her to say 'hello' before saying what he has to.

"We need to talk. Now."

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Friday July 2nd

Also; for those of you who haven't noticed already; I have a picture of "_Jo'an_" up as my avatar now. If you go to my profile you can see it a little better. That's just in case you wanna know what she looks like. Or, if the Jo'an you've been imagining is much cuter, then stick with her. Doesn't matter to me! But at the same time I hope the visual helps.

And one other thing; **Katlynn **asked if I'd be willing to do a sequel or more stories with Jo'an in them. It's not a bad idea. What do you guys think? Should I do more stories that involve her? As always, majority rules.


	17. Chapter 17

**Madlenita, Jeremy Shane, 4evrclois: **Thank you for reviewing!

**Pompeypearly: **lol. Sorry about the awful cliffhanger.

**Reeven:** I agree. Jo'an with Oliver is cute, but Jo'an with Lois is hilarious. And don't worry about the all caps. If you like to do it that way, then that's the way you should do it. Oh, and let me apologize ahead of time for the Chlollie moments in this chapter. I know you don't like that pairing.;)

**Cambpti: **Lol. No, this is definitely before Chloe began harboring the beast. I love Chloe but that wasn't my favorite 'Sullivan moment'. Thank you!

**Wizziewoo123: **wow, I'm honored. Really glad you like this despite the fact that you don't normally read stories that aren't about Chlollie. Thanks.

**Wtchcool: **thank you. I'm so glad you like Jo'an and the pic of her. Originally I was going to go for a younger Jodelle Ferland, but she looks so much like Kristen/Lana. That just wouldn't work. Lol.

**Katlynne, samse, lilbit4, and cathy03: **lol. You guys are making me feel guilty for not letting you know what Jo'an did in school in this chapter. It's in the next one I swear; but I hope you're satisfied with this one.

**1000greensun: **totally agree. Ollie and Jo'an always make me smile.

**Eternal density: **thank you! It's sort of a 'what if' type canon thing.

**Jmjames: **you always remember my favorite parts. Lol. I hope you enjoy this over breakfast. And thank you for messaging me the forgotten reviews.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Are you sure?"

Jo'an silently nods her head up and down against Oliver's shoulder; but even before that, Chloe knew the little girl was right. It made sense. A whole lot of sense. Why else would the beast show up at _her _wedding of all places? Why else would it kill others without a second thought and just kidnap her? Not to mention, the way her niece freaked out when she saw him in the hospital.

She swears to herself; she left Jimmy in the hospital with him. What if he'd decided he wanted to finish the job? And as if the mere thought of her husband could conjure him up, he's suddenly by her side.

"_Oliver_, what are you doing here?_"_ he asks; then noticing the child in Oliver's arm he asks what's going on.

As inconspicuously as she can, Chloe hands the picture back to Oliver. Naturally, Jimmy notices the little exchange and frowns.

"What's that?"

"Oh, nothing," Oliver shrugs and shifts Jo'an a little so that he can pocket the picture. "Just showing Chloe a picture our niece drew in school today."

"Your niece?" he frowns at Chloe, silently asking for an explanation.

"Um Jimmy, This is Jo'an. Clark's daughter," Chloe says while glaring at Oliver. She doubts he even realizes that when he said 'our niece' it sounded as if the two of them were a couple; but he should really watch what he says.

"Jo'an, this is Jimmy. My husband," Chloe tells the child.

Jo'an gives Jimmy a small wave; not exactly thrilled to meet him, but not wanting to be rude to the man. It's nothing against him personally. She just likes her Uncle Ollie better.

"You never told me Clark had a daughter," Jimmy says almost accusingly.

Chloe sighs. Clark has been a major problem in their relationship. Probably the only problem; but it's not really Clark himself, it's his secret; and the fact that she has to constantly lie to Jimmy to keep it. And there, perched on Oliver's hip in front of them, is yet another reason Chloe is going to have to lie to her husband.

"Jimmy,"-

"Hey," Oliver interrupts Chloe and gives Jimmy a light punch in the arm. Jimmy winces a little, as Oliver's "light" punch wasn't as light as he intended for it to be. "Don't feel so bad Olsen. Clark just found out when, the day before yesterday?" he asks Chloe. She nods her head. "Yeah, so you can just imagine how that played out," he grins suddenly. He would've loved to see Clark's face when he found out Lois was his 'baby mama'.

He's startled out of his reverie when someone begins knocking on the door.

"Answer it," Chloe calls over her shoulder while heading toward the kitchen. She'd noticed Jimmy's meds are beginning to wear off. It's time for him to take more.

"Who, me?" Oliver asks while looking from Chloe to the door. "This is your place."

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Thanks captain obvious; but it's either Lois or Clark so answer it. Please," she adds at the end to keep from being completely rude.

"I'll get it," Jimmy volunteers and his efforts to do so make Oliver wince. The guy is obviously in a lot of pain.

"No, I'll get it," Oliver relents and opens the door.

It's Clark.

"Hi Daddy," Jo'an says once the door's opened. The greeting is a bit too casual for Clark's taste.

"That's it? I don't get a hug?" he asks while stretching his arms open.

Oliver sets Jo'an down so that she can give her father a proper greeting. She gives him a quick hug before turning back to Oliver with her arms outstretched.

_Awkward._

That's the thought that plays repetitively in Oliver's head as he looks down at the little girl with his jaw dropped. That wasn't exactly the greeting he expected his niece to give her father. He was sure there'd be a "Daddy!" type squeal followed by lots of hugging and kissing and 'I missed you' type stuff; but no, the hug, if you could call _that _a hug, barely lasted two seconds. Literally. He's just her uncle, not even her real uncle at that, and he got a better greeting than the one Clark just received.

Clark frowns as Oliver awkwardly picks his daughter back up and gives him an apologetic smile over her shoulder. And when Jo'an wraps her arms around Oliver's neck and rests her head on his shoulder, Clark unconsciously clenches his teeth together. Jo'an is _his _daughter. Not Oliver's. _His. _He should be the one holding her.

"So uh…" Oliver looks away from Clark and toward Jimmy. He's more than ready to extinguish the dangerous vibes he feels Clark sending his way. "It's nice to see you up on your feet," he says as a goodbye before taking a step toward the door. "Clark, you wanna step outside with me for a minute? Joey you stay here with Aunt Chloe and uh Uncle Jimmy."

"He's not my uncle," Jo'an says sourly. "You"-

"On second thought," Oliver interrupts while clamping a hand tightly over his niece's mouth before she can finish the sentence. "Maybe you should just come with me and your dad."

He exits the apartment quickly, leaving Chloe to do any explaining that may need to be done for Jimmy. Clark follows closely behind.

"What took you so long to respond? I left you four messages," Oliver says once Clark shuts the door behind them.

"I didn't have time to listen to them. What's going on?"

Oliver bites his tongue. He was very close to giving Clark a sarcastic remark; but they've got more important matters to tend to. Quickly, he shifts Jo'an to his other hip so that he can extract the picture from his pocket and hands it over to Clark.

But Clark doesn't look down at the paper; he's too busy wondering why Oliver hasn't put his daughter down yet; and he finds himself getting slightly irritated by the way his daughter is resting her head on Oliver's chest; and then, a little more aggravated by the way Oliver keeps rubbing his hand up and down his daughter's back.

"Clark!"

"What?" he snaps unintentionally.

"Do you see what I see?" Oliver asks while pointing at the picture.

Clark looks down and gasps.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I said."

"_You _drew this?" Clark asks and holds the picture out for Jo'an to see.

"Uh-huh."

"How'd you…where'd you…"-

"She saw the wedding tape, saw him in the hospital, had a bad dream, teacher asked the class to draw their dreams and"-

"Wait, what do you mean she saw him at the hospital?" Clark interrupts Oliver's rendition of what happened.

"I mean it's, he's," Oliver points to the monster in the picture, "Davis".

"Bloom? Are you sure?"

Jo'an and Oliver nod their head at the same time. Clark ignores how much alike it made them look, even though they don't share any physical features.

"Okay, let's go."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute Clark. We can't just rush into this. What were you going to do, speed over to the hospital, wait until Bloom showed up, show him the picture, and say 'is this you? Because if it is I'm going to kill you?"

Clark looks at Oliver; truly insulted. Maybe that was the _gist _of what he had in mind; but the way Oliver said it made him look ridiculous.

"As much as I hate to, I agree with Oliver on this one Clark."

Both Oliver and Clark turn to see Chloe in the process of shutting the door behind her. "But you two might want to keep your voices down; I just got Jimmy to sleep."

"You just got Jimmy to sleep?" Oliver smirks. "What did you do, slip something into his drink?"

She ignores him and addresses Clark. "So what are we going to do about this?"

"We?" Clark asks.

"You did, didn't you? You slipped something into his drink," Oliver gasps. He'd been joking before, but now…

"Yes, we," she says through clenched teeth, making a point to ignore Oliver. "You don't have to do this alone Clark."

"You know, that's kinda hot. Well maybe not so much for Jimmy but- umpf. Hey! What did ya do that for?" Oliver grunts when Chloe punches him in the shoulder.

She doesn't answer. Oliver knows exactly why he got hit. "Clark, this isn't just your responsibility."

"Yes it is Chloe."

"How? How are you responsible for this, huh? What did _you_ do to make Davis the way he is? I mean, this isn't like the time you let all those zoners out of the phantom zone and even that wasn't really your fault."

"The phantom Zone," Clark whispers.

Both Oliver and Chloe raise an eyebrow at each other; but Chloe is the first to speak.

"Yes Clark the phantom zone, the place where"-

"I can send Davis," he interrupts.

"Wait, what?" Chloe asks. He kinda lost her.

"I'm sending Davis to the phantom zone," Clark says a bit more confidently this time around.

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because…" She was going to say humans don't belong there; but Davis isn't human.

"Oliver?" Clark inquires.

"It could work," he says thoughtfully. "But I-I hate it when he does that," Oliver says when Clark pulls his infamous disappearing act. "Seriously," he turns a little so that he's facing Chloe; "How long did it take for you to get used to that?"

"That's assuming I_ have_ gotten used to it."

"Whoa!" Oliver ducks as Clark suddenly appears before him with puckered lips and kisses his daughter. "Watch it!"

"Did you honestly think I was going to kiss you?" Clark asks before disappearing again.

Clark couldn't have had better timing if he tried. If he would have stayed just a second longer; Lois Lane would've seen him disappear into thin air.

"Mommy!" Jo'an squeals. She waits until her uncle lets her down before rushing at her mother.

Oliver smiles. That's the way a kid should greet her parent. He supposes she'll get there with Clark one of these days.

"Okay, okay, I see you; now get off," Lois says while trying to escape Jo'an's embrace.

And just like that, Oliver's smile is replaced with a frown; because that is definitely not how a mother is supposed to greet her kid…even if she doesn't know that the kid is hers. He takes action, quickly swooping his niece back up into his arms so that she doesn't have time to dwell on her mother's rejection.

"Uncle Ollie!" Jo'an squirms and giggles, when Oliver begins to tickle her all over.

Lois rolls her eyes. The two are obnoxious together. Absolutely obnoxious.

"Oliver, What the hell!" Lois yells when he tosses the child up high into the air. Too high. "She's not a football. What if you drop her?"

"_Lois!"_He feigns a gasp. "I would never drop my niece."

"Whatever, just give her to me," she says without a smile.

"But she likes it. Look," He tosses Jo'an up again, a lot higher than before.

"Uncle Ollie!" the little girl shrieks with laughter. "Do it again."

"See," Oliver smiles back smugly.

"Dammit Oliver, give me my kid!" Lois demands.

Everyone goes quiet. Even Jo'an's jaw drops a little.

"What?" Lois asks when everyone just stares at her.

"What did you just say?" Oliver asks.

"You heard me. I said give me the kid."

Oliver silently hands Jo'an over while exchanging a look with Chloe. That was _not_ what Lois just said.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Tuesday, July 6th.


	18. Chapter 18

**Pompeypearly: **wow! You're always up so early to review, thanks! And I'm glad you like the 'my kid' slip. I wasn't too sure it would go over well with you guys; but I put it in there anyway with hopes that it would.

**Madlenita and wizzieswoo123: **some things will be different from the show, can't exactly tell ya what ;) Thank you!

**Chlollie forever, bubblegum889 and Jeremy Shane: **Thank you!

**Cloisfinally123: **Lana got the kryptonite thing around chapter 12 I think. I only mentioned it briefly because I figured everyone knew how it happened and etc; which was pretty dumb of me. I should know better than to assume anything. But it is mentioned again in this chapter if that makes you feel better.

And I'm so sorry about the Lois and Clark thing. When I first wrote this story, it was actually set during season four; but right after I posted the first chapter I realized I made a huge mistake. Because Lois doesn't know Jo'an's from the future, but she knows right off the bat that the kid's Clark's, I had to change the story. Jo'an's six and if I would have left it in a season four setting that would mean Clark had her when he was about twelve or thirteen. So, I had to move it up a few seasons but I couldn't pass Season 8 because of the Lana issue. So now it's as if he had her when he was about sixteen; which is still pretty young, but doable. I had to change a LOT of this fic; but I was just too lazy to change _everything_. Sorry again and I hope you understand.

**Wtchcool: **lol. Yeah, I'm not much of a chimmy fan. Sooo…. she had to do it.

**Jujuchick16: **honestly, this story was only supposed to be about eleven chapters long; but with all of the Chlollie and Clois requests, I don't think this story's ever gonna end. I can't believe I'm on the eighteenth chapter; and considering the events to come, I'm thinking this is probably gonna be a thirty chapter story. I hope you guys don't mind sticking around that long.

**Katlynne: **glad you're enjoying yourself. A mind erase huh? Something like that, maybe. I figured you'd like it when Oliver freaked out over Clark kissing Jo'an. One of my favorite parts as well.

**Sophiiex: **I'm glad you like this; and you have no idea how much I appreciate the fact that you guys like that I update on a scheduled time. It's really hard to do. Writing the chapters is no problem; but it's actually pretty hard to find the time to type them up. So thank you for letting me know my lack of sleep is greatly appreciated. Lol.

**Hermione double: **Thank you. I just love Oliver and I have a lot of fun writing him.

**Reeven: **You're not annoying at all dear. I love to hear from you. About future Lois, I'll put her in a prequel/companion piece later.

**Icequeen825: **Thank you! You really made my day. I just love long reviews. Thank you for understanding why Jo'an acts the way she does. I really do believe she would have turned out differently if Clark had been around. Not only was she being raised by Lois but 'Aunt Kara' was a huge part of her life as well.

As for the Lois and Clark relationship, it's actually more of a season four one. See my reply to **cloisfinally123** to see why. I hope you still enjoy the story.

**Jmjames: **Just love how you've gotten used to writing me longer reviews. They always make me feel better. I'm so happy everyone seems to like the 'my kid' slip. Thank you!

**Cathy03: **I really hope you're satisfied with this one, and I thought Clark being jealous over Oliver would only be natural. Plus it was fun to write. Lol.

**Samse: **Wow! Glad you liked it that much. Hope this one tickles you as well!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark Kent wasn't having the best of days. Aside from the fire putting outing and the damsel in distress rescuing; he couldn't find Davis. He tried the hospital; some accident scenes; he even tried listening for his voice. Nothing.

He slows down just before he reaches the front door. Someone is making her way up the front steps. Someone he doesn't recognize; from behind anyway.

"Excuse me, can I help you?"

The woman jumps and turns around to face Clark while placing a hand over her racing heart. She's an older woman, maybe in her late forties; and for a moment Clark feared she'd have a heart attack.

"Oh my, you startled me," she breathes. "You must be Mr. Kent. I'm Ms. Robinson; Jo'an's teacher."

Clark shakes her hand. He recognizes her voice from earlier today.

"It's nice to meet you. So, what can I do for you?"

"You didn't get my note?"

"Note?"

Both the teacher and Clark frown at each other.

"Yes Mr. Kent; I sent a note home with your daughter, but I take it she didn't give it to you."

"No, she didn't," Clark shakes his head.

"Of course she didn't," the teacher says with a well-practiced smile. A child "forgetting" to give his or her parents a note from the teacher was to be expected; and she'd learned that when it was really important to just send a letter telling the parents she was going to stop by later that evening.

"May I?" Ms. Robinson gestures toward the door, asking Clark for permission to enter. He opens the door for her with a polite "of course" and leads her to the living room.

But he realizes almost immediately that he should have peaked first because Lois is lying on the floor finishing her daily workout routine; which means, she's barely clothed. Like usual, her shirt is nothing but a sports bra, and her bottoms border a fine line between shorts and underwear.

One glance at the teacher and he can see she's not very comfortable with what she sees. Lucky for him, the bottom of her rear isn't visible today; and the only reason for that is Jo'an is sitting on Lois's feet with her arms wrapped around her mother's knees to keep her steady.

"Hi Daddy," Jo'an calls without turning around to face her father.

"Hi Jo'an."

Clark walks over and stands directly behind Jo'an before bending over to drop a light kiss onto the top of her head. "Lois"-

"I know what you're thinking Smallville," She grunts; "but I didn't make her do this. She volunteered."

"I didn't think"-

"So you were just checking me out again huh?" she grins.

"_Lois!"_

"Lighten up Kent. You're too- Damn, you made me lose count."

"Set four, sit up number seventeen," Jo'an answers promptly before resting her chin on Lois's knees.

"God I love this kid," Lois says before finishing off three more sit ups and telling Clark that he has thirty seconds to tell her whatever he needed to before she starts on her last set.

"Lois, this is Ms. Robinson. Jo'an's teacher," he answers right away. She really means it when she says she's got thirty seconds to spare.

Lois squints up at the lady as she comes to stand beside Clark, making herself visible; then she frowns up at Jo'an.

"I thought I told you not to get suspended."

"I"-

"She's not suspended Ms. Lane; I just came by to have a little chat with her parents. I sent home a note with Jo'an here," Ms. Robinson gives the little girl's shoulder a small squeeze before continuing. "But I guess she forgot about it. Didn't you dear?"

"No," Jo'an mumbles. _She _didn't forget. Her Uncle Ollie forgot to give the note back to her.

"You guys still make house calls?" Lois scoffs then shrugs. "Then again, we are in the boonies. How many students do you have? Ten? Twelve?"

"Time for another set," Jo'an whispers while giving Lois two pats on her thigh. Immediately Lois forgets about the question she asked, even though she probably wasn't going to get an answer for it because it was mostly rhetorical. Mostly.

Clark and Ms. Robinson wait, albeit a little impatiently for Lois to finish up her work out. As soon as she hits twenty sit ups, Jo'an gets up and walks away without saying a word. Lois nearly smiles, if she was the kid, she wouldn't want to stick around to hear what the teacher had to say either. In fact, she still doesn't want to hear what the teacher says.

"Time for me to hit the showers," Lois announces before getting up and heading toward the stairs

"Actually Ms. Lane, I need to speak with you as well as"-

"Look, whatever the kid told you about me is a lie." "Sort of," Lois adds under her breath.

"Would you like to have a seat here?" the teacher asks while deliberately ignoring Lois's response.

Lois sighs and takes a seat next to Clark. And in turn, Clark shifts a little uncomfortably in _his_ seat. He would never mention this to a soul but a sweaty and barely clothed Lois always made him a bit uncomfortable. Not in a good way; but not necessarily in a bad way either.

"Is Ms…."

Clark focuses his attention on the teacher as she briefly consults her notes.

"Lang. Is Ms. Lang around? I'd like to have the whole _family_ here if that wouldn't be too much trouble," the teacher concludes.

Clark raises his eyebrows in surprise before answering. How'd she know about Lana? And what did she mean by 'the whole _family_'?

"Lana's at the hospital," he answers; and it's actually the truth. Sort of. She's in a hospital-like setting; and she's taking tests so that they can find out why she's absorbing kryptonite. Maybe then, they'll be able to figure out a way to stop it.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she gets well soon."

"Here you go Mommy," Jo'an says a little grumpily as she holds out a bottled water for Lois. She doesn't like her teacher being here. She doesn't like it one bit.

"It's Lois," Lois hisses back automatically. By now it's habit.

Jo'an ignores Lois and sits in her lap. That's become habit as well; ignoring her mother when she tells her not to call her Mommy; because she's never going to call her Mommy Lois.

Lois sighs. If it wasn't for the fact that the little monster just got a bottled water for her without being asked; and that she had just recently been holding her legs steady so that she could get an effective workout; Lois would've pushed her out of her lap and onto her father's. She's hot and sweaty and just all around icky at the moment; and the kid _and_ her hair are just making her that much more hot and sweaty and icky.

"Let's start with this," Ms. Robinson says as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a phone. "Students are not supposed to have these in school."

"You gave the kid a cell Kent?" Lois asks while placing one arm around Jo'an's middle and holding her against her securely so that she can get up and get the phone without the child falling out of her lap.

"I didn't give her that," Clark frowns.

But he didn't have to say it. Just by looking at the phone she could tell Clark couldn't afford it; which meant…

"I'm going to kill Oliver," She mutters.

Jo'an reaches for the phone, but Lois smacks her hand lightly. "I don't think so Junior."

"But Uncle Ollie gave it to me for emergencies."

"Emergencies? What kind of an emergency does a six year old have? Besides the bathroom kind?"

"I have lots of emergencies; _real_ emergencies," Jo'an exclaims.

"Like what?"

"Uh, Lois, I think Ms. Robinson has more to tell us," Clark interrupts before Jo'an can start naming a few of those _real _emergencies.

"Thank you Mr. Kent," The woman says while sending Lois a look that makes her decide right then and there that she doesn't like the kid's teacher.

"Now Mr. Kent," The teacher shifts a little and focuses all of her attention on Clark. He seems to be the more _caring_ parent. And while Lois subconsciously picks up on what the teacher is doing, it doesn't bother her at all. The kid isn't hers anyway. "Jo'an is an _exceptionally _bright child."

"but," Lois says under her breath.

"_But,_" Ms. Robinson gives Lois another look before continuing. "She seems to have a hard time focusing in the classroom. I have to call on her several times to get her attention and she has absolutely no regards for the classroom rules…"

Jo'an frowns. That wasn't her fault. At her other school, it was really easy to keep an 'ear' out for her mother. It's only a few blocks away; but this school is a lot further, and she has to concentrate really hard to hear her mother.

"I've had to tell her repeatedly to raise her hand when she wants to speak; and more often than not, she just wanted to "use the bathroom". Don't get me wrong Mr. Kent. I do allow my students to use the bathroom when they have to go, but there is a limit to how times one can actually go within a seven hour period. And also, I'd appreciate it if when I tell her no, she doesn't just walk out of the classroom anyway. You can imagine the negative influence she may begin to have on my other students if this continues."

Jo'an begins to kick her leg irritably. That wasn't her fault either. Sometimes when she couldn't hear her mommy good, or it sounded like she was in trouble; she had to go see her for herself. Again, if she was at her old school, she could've sneaked away while nobody was paying attention and been back before anyone even knew she was gone.

"And her Language Mr. Kent. I would rather none of my students used profanity in my classroom."

Okay, maybe that one was her fault. She knows better than to say 'grown up' words; but sometimes they just slip. Especially when she's irritated.

Clark nods his head somberly. He'll have a long talk with Jo'an later tonight.

Lois, on the other hand, chuckles softly to herself. The kid's just like she was when she was in school; inattentive, looking for any excuse to leave the classroom, and dropping four letter words here and there. Those were the good 'ole days.

"Excuse me Ms. Lane, but I don't find this amusing in the least. Jo'an is exhibiting signs of anxiety. The nervousness, the constant moving around, the rebellion, the acting out in class, the language, the story telling, the list goes on and on Ms. Lane; and quite frankly I think it has something to do with this _arrangement_ of yours," Ms. Robinson nearly yells. She'd let her anger get the best of her. She never lets her anger get the best of her. She takes a few deep breaths and turns away from Lois's shocked expression to focus once more on the parent who actually seems to care about the little girl.

"Mr. Kent, I'm no psychologist, and I can't tell you how to live your life; but having your daughter here with you, as well as her mother and your girlfriend is _affecting _her; mentally, academically and emotionally.

"Whoa, rewind lady. I am not Clark's girlfriend"

"I'm aware of that."

"And second, there's nothing wrong with the kid. Right Junior?"

"Right," Jo'an answers hesitantly; but truthfully she thinks her teacher might be a little right. She would feel much better if it was just her, her daddy, and her mommy living here. No one else. No one like Lana.

"See she's fine. You said it yourself. She's a smart kid. Maybe she's just bored and you need to find the kid more stimulating things to do."

"Ms. Lane," The teacher turns on Lois, not even bothering to hide her contempt for the woman. "How often do you refer to your daughter as 'the kid'?

'As often as I feel like it' and 'none of you damn business' are the two answers Lois is debating on giving the woman when she suddenly realizes she'd just called the Jo'an her daughter.

"She's not my daughter," Lois clarifies. She's getting tired of having to do that.

"Ms. Lane, I'm serious."

Lois is about to tell the woman she's serious too; but Clark speaks up.

"Ms. Robinson, thank you so much for sharing your concerns with us," he says as he begins to usher the woman out of the house. "We will have a long talk about everything you said. You'll see a brand new Jo'an tomorrow, I promise."

Lois sets Jo'an down and follows after Clark, she hasn't decided on whether she wants the woman to stay, just until she gives her a piece of her mind; or if she's happy the teacher's leaving.

Once the teacher is out of the house; and the door is shut Clark turns to Lois.

"Lois, we need to talk. Jo'an will you go upstairs for a few minutes? Please?" He adds when the little girl doesn't move.

"Am I in trouble?"

"You will be if you don't make it to those steps in five…four. And that's how you do it Smallville," Lois grins once the kid is upstairs by the time she gets to two. "So… what do you want to talk about?" She prompts when he doesn't seem inclined to say anything.

"Lois, Jo'an uh," he shifts restlessly, not exactly knowing how to say it.

"Well, spit it out already."

And with that, he decides the direct approach might be the easiest.

"Lois, Jo'an _is _your daughter."

Lois raises her eyebrows and laughs. "Good one Smallville," she chokes out before turning to go upstairs. She's way past due for a shower.

Clark grabs her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"I'm serious. She's from the future."

Lois first looks down at her arm, until he let's go; then she looks up at his face and frowns. He seems serious; which is fast freaking her out.

"Really? How'd she get here?" Lois asks playfully hoping he'll say he's just kidding and she won't have to have him committed.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Saturday July 10th

Also, I know teachers probably aren't that pushy or that they probably don't make house calls anymore; but it's a fictional story guys. Please don't get upset over it.


	19. Chapter 19

**Cathy03 and Smallvillelover: **Lol. Four days isn't that long of a wait dears. It'll be here sooner than you think. Just breathe. See, already here;)

**Wizziewoo123, IceQueen825, framework4, bubblegum889, Jeremy Shane and 1000GreenSun: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Ghostfile: **Wow Thanks! I think Jo'an and Lois are hilarious together and yeah, it is pretty much a catch-22 for Lois; but I'm glad you're enjoying this story anyway. Thanks again!

**Jujuchick16: **Yeah, you just may get your wish. Can't say I'm as happy about it as you are. I always get so nervous before posting a chapter, and now I've got ten to fifteen more nervous days to deal with. Lol. But seriously, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Samse: **Lol. Jo'an doesn't even need to sabotage the relationship. Clark and Lana do a fantastic job of that on their own.

**Katlynne: **me too! I thought the work out scene was too cute.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. I totally get what you mean. Clark needed someone to tell him the four of them living together isn't…healthy. Thank you!

**Wtchcool: **lol. Agreed; a definite recipe for disaster.

**Cloisfinally123: **Oh, sorry I misunderstood the question. Not until the end of the story. The chapter before the last to be exact.

**CoLdBlAdE: **Lol x's 3. No need to shove anything anywhere. You're right, I am very apologetic. I've got this people-pleasing syndrome that probably stems from some 'Daddy issues' I'm unaware of having. I just want everyone to enjoy the story, and it bothers me to a certain degree when they're frustrated with it. Even if they're complete strangers, I don't want them to be 'mad' at me. So thank you for the encouraging words.

As for your story, if you could wait until my next day off (which is Tuesday) I should have time to read it and I'll try my best to help you. If that's what you were asking me to do;)

**Eternal density, and : **Lol. You guys really cracked me up.

**lunrRain: **Awww. I know just what you mean. When I used to actually have time to read other fics, I would only browse through the completed ones as well. I'm so glad you made an exception for this story, but at the same time I feel for you because there's still quite a few chapters left. Thank you!

**Reeven: **Lol. Of course; you didn't actually expect me _not _to cave in to your request did you? God, I'm a sucker for you guys and your little 'can you's and 'will you's. ;)

**Rogue56: **lol, she sure can.

**Jmjames: **Lol. I actually had to look up valium; and there is definitely nothing wrong with 'Junior'. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. And I did actually make it a bit longer than usual. Not _that _much longer; but longer;)

**Uglyduckling89: **Aww thanks; you're comment gave me the fuzzy wuzzies all over.

**Madlenita: **Don't worry, that's happened to me before. I nearly died. I love my computer.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Like her better half, Lana Lang isn't having the best of days. She'd been tested, and tested, and tested; only to find there's no cure for her; that she'll just keep absorbing kryptonite until one day she's retained enough of it to physically hurt Clark just by being near him.

"_You make Daddy sick and you hurt him whenever you're around."_

It's basically the first thing Jo'an said to her the day she arrived; and now Lana sees how very true her statement could be. But this time, she's going to make sure it doesn't happen as it obviously did before. This time, she's going to make sure she doesn't absorb another drop of kryptonite; no matter what.

That's the one thought Lana can't get out of her mind as she slows to a stop in front of the Kent Farm. Too late does she notice there's a woman on the porch; and it's only pure luck that the woman has dropped her bag, spilling all of its contents, and causing her to miss what would have looked like a woman appearing before her out of thin air.

"Do you need help with that?" Lana offers.

The woman starts, and covers her heart before looking up at Lana.

"No thank you. I've just about got it all…Lana Lang I presume?" The woman asks with a frown.

One of Lana's eyebrows dips slightly. How does the woman know her name?

"Yes, I'm Lana Lang."

"You look…healthy," the woman says as she stands up slowly; as if she's got all the time in the world. Lana raises her eyebrows slightly, easily picking up on the accusatory tone in the older woman's voice.

"I'm sorry, you're probably wondering who I am. I'm Ms. Robinson; Jo'an's teacher" The woman tilts her head slightly, gauging the younger woman's reaction to the child's name. Lana neither smiles nor frowns; she just leaves her face blank and waits for the woman to continue.

"Mr. Kent said you were in the hospital when I asked to speak with you, him, and Ms. Lane together. I take it the doctor gave you a clean bill of health," she says with a tone that suggests she doesn't believe Lana actually _went_ to the hospital.

"Obviously," Lana smiles back evenly. "It was nice meeting you," she lies before opening the screen door, promptly dismissing the child's teacher.

"_I'm serious. She's from the future."_

Lana frowns at the sound of Clark's voice, and waits for the teacher to get to her car before opening the front door.

"Clark," she hisses.

They both jump; Clark and Lois. Lana's frown deepens. She can understand startling Lois; but Clark should have heard her coming.

"Do you think it's a good idea to have this conversation with her _before_ Jo'an's teacher has even gotten off the porch? I just spoke with the woman and honestly she doesn't seem like she'd be particularly _bashful_ about listening at the door."

"Wait," Lois looks from Lana to Clark. "Just…back up for a few okay. You're _serious_? The both of you? You think…you're _both _saying that…"

She takes a deep breath and Clark takes a small step toward her. Lois is a very verbal person. It must be killing her not to be able to articulate her thoughts into words. She takes a step back and tries again. "You're saying that _that's _my kid up there?" she squeaks while pointing in the general direction of the stairs.

"Lois, think about it," Clark says softly.

"Okay," Lois says while nodding her head, but it's not because she's agreeing with him. She's agreeing to think about it.

'_The kid IS practically named after you. Lois Joanne Lane, Joanne Lane Kent.'_

'_So what? Maybe the kid IS from the future. Maybe I'm some hot shot reporter and somebody named their kid after me.'_

'_A kid who was named after you because you're a 'hot shot reporter'? Ego stroke much? And what about the fact that she seems to know you. Well. Really, really well. Like 'how to make your coffee just the way you like it' well.'_

"_So? She IS Smallville's kid. Me and Smallville could still be friends in the future. It's not hard to believe the kid knows me; has probably spent some time with me; a LOT of time with me. Maybe Smallville named his kid after me._

'_Ooo. Denial. That's good Lane. Denial is your friend.'_

'_shut up.'_

"Junior!" Lois yells after worrying Clark and Lana with her lengthy silence.

"Ma'am!" Jo'an calls as she runs down the steps and skids to a stop in front of her mother. This is it. She's gonna get in trouble now for all the stuff she did at school. She's sure of it.

"When's your birthday?"

"March," Jo'an blinks.

"What year?"

"2011"

'_Two years from now. That's just great.'_

Lois begins to circle the child; examining everything from hair color to posture. And in turn, Jo'an watches Lois warily.

'_The kid really doesn't look anything like me,' _Lois thinks in relief; because if Jo'an doesn't share any physical attributes with her, there's no way they're…related. It's not a logical thought; but Lois isn't actually in a logical mood.

Lois circles the child completely, twice, before stopping in front of her and stooping down to Jo'an's eye level.

'_I guess those could be my eyes.'_

Lois frowns and narrows her eyes.

'_maybe.'_

She wrinkles her eyebrows while tilting her head this way and that way. Trying to figure out if those are indeed her eyes; because honestly, the eye color isn't exactly rare. Lana has the same color eyes for Pete's sake!

The way Lois is scrutinizing Jo'an so intensely is starting to make the child a little edgy; so she does what she always does when she nervous. She rocks back and forth on her heels while repeatedly interlacing and untangling her fingers from each other.

"Dear God," Lois gasps and steps back abruptly. Jo'an glances down at her hands briefly before hiding them behind her back and biting the corner of her bottom lip."_Oh_ my god," Lois clamps one hand over her mouth and the other over her eyes. She doesn't want to see anymore; and she's definitely going to be sick. She's gonna have a kid…with Smallville.

"Clark!" She whirls around and faces him. This is all his fault.

"What?" He frowns.

"I can't believe you"-

"Me? Lois, it takes two to"-

"Don't! There's no way we…That I…I must've been drunk. Yeah, and you took advantage of me," she accuses.

At first, Clark takes offense. But then he remembers the way he'd assumed he'd been on Red K when Jo'an was conceived because of who her mother is; and he lets it go.

"Lois, just calm down for a second," Lana interferes.

"Don't tell me to calm down. If you'd have done right this time none of this would've happened!"

Lana clenches her jaws together. What did she mean by that? Was she implying that all of her failed relationships with Clark were _her _fault?

"If I would have _done right _this time, _she_ wouldn't even exist." Lana nods her head in Jo'an's direction. "But I do plan on "doing it right" this time around."

Lois takes a step toward Lana. That sounded like a threat; and not just on the kid's life but on her very existence. Clark quickly steps between them both.

"Lana, Lois, please."

"Fine." Lois turns on her heels and marches up the stairs.

Clark sighs, out of relief, frustration, and just plain exhaustion.

"I'm sorry Clark," Lana apologizes sincerely as she places a gentle hand on Clark's forearm. "I didn't mean it the way it came out."

"I know you didn't Lana," Clark smiles back at her.

She nods her head and tells him she needs fresh air, and is going for a walk before leaving the way she came not even a full five minutes ago.

Once Lana leaves, Clark looks down at his fidgeting daughter. He frowns as she nervously looks from him to the staircase while wringing her fingers together. The teacher was right. Jo'an does have anxiety problems. He gets down on his knees before her and takes her hands in his; even if this calms her down just a little he'll feel a lot better.

"Jo'an?"

She focuses all of her attention on him and slowly begins to relax. He gives her a small smile before continuing. "Why _weren't_ you paying attention in class today?"

"I was listening to Mommy at work."

"All the way in Metropolis?" Clark asks, not fully able to hide the fact that he's impressed…and kinda proud.

"Uh-huh. She gets hurt a lot," Jo'an answers.

"And when you had to 'use the bathroom', you were checking on Lois, weren't you?"

Jo'an nods her head.

"Okay, it's good that you want to protect Lois; but you can't do that anymore."

Jo'an balks at him as he continues with, "Just concentrate on your schoolwork; and the teacher, or else she'll be visiting again. I'll make sure Lois is safe from now on."

As much as Jo'an doesn't want another home visit from her teacher, she doesn't trust her father to keep her mother safe the way she does. He doesn't even pay enough attention to her mommy while she's there in the house with him. How's she supposed to believe he'll do it when she isn't here?

"Jo'an," Clark wiggles the little girl's hands when he realizes she's lost in thought. Since she's Lois's daughter, she's probably thinking of all kinds of loop holes she can jump through. He has to make sure there aren't any. "I want you to promise me you'll pay atten- Where are you going?" He asks when he spots Lois coming toward them with an overnight, no, more like an over_month _bag slung over her shoulder.

"None of your business," she answers before grabbing Jo'an's hand and walking out of the front door. Clark gets up and follows immediately.

"You can go wherever you like Lois, but you're not taking her," he says while grabbing Jo'an's other hand.

"Watch me," Lois bends a little to pick the little girl up, but Clark steps in front of her.

"You're not taking her," he repeats, albeit a lot more menacingly than before.

Lois doesn't back down. She's never been afraid of _anyone_; and she'd be damned if she started now; especially with _Smallville_.

"Or what? What are you going to do Smallville?" she tugs on Jo'an's hand so that the little girl's no longer behind Clark, but in between them. "Call the police? Tell them your _future _daughter is being taken away from you by her mother?"

"Lois!" He glares down at her. He should've never told her the truth. He just knew it was a bad idea.

"You know what," Lois shrugs and let's go of Jo'an's hand. "Let the kid decide."

Jo'an Looks from Lois to Clark. Choose between her mommy and daddy? Out loud? With them both looking at her like that? She doesn't want to do that.

"No," Clark says firmly.

"What's the matter Smallville? Afraid she'll want to go with her mommy?"

Clark narrows his eyes at her. The way she keeps saying 'Smallville' is really beginning to irritate him. Usually when she calls him that, he doesn't mind. It's a playful nickname she thought up years ago to tease him about his 'small-town ways'; but the way she's using it now, it's almost as if she's taunting him.

He turns away from her, tugging on Jo'an's hand as he goes.

"No!" Jo'an panics and easily snatches her hand from Clark's before running toward her mother. She sneaks a quick glance at her father over her shoulder, and stops in the middle. He looks so sad; and it makes her feel bad because she's the one who's making him feel that way.

"Jo'an, please. Stay with Daddy."

It's a whisper her daddy sends only for her to hear. Just like when he wished her good luck in school. It almost makes her cry; but she keeps the tears inside. She doesn't _want_ to leave her daddy; but she turns back around and faces her mother with outstretched arms.

"Sorry Daddy," she whispers back; a special whisper only he can hear. Her words are unsteady at best.

Lois picks the child up and looks over at Clark. She can't even drudge up a victorious smile to send his way. There is nothing victorious about the way the child is covering her ears, or the way her eyes are squeezed shut; or the little choking noises Lois can hear her make in her throat because she's trying her hardest not to cry. No, there is _nothing_ victorious about this little win at all.

She straps the child into her seat quickly, before Clark can come out of his trans-like stupor and try to stop her.

"Lois."

Lois jumps when Clark is suddenly behind her.

"What?" She mutters before shutting the back door and opening hers. Clark frowns as he hears the unmistakable click of car doors locking. He won't be able to open the door and grab his daughter without breaking the handle; or ripping the door away from the car completely the way he's more than tempted to do.

"Lois, look at her," he tries for a different approach.

But Lois doesn't look. She doesn't have to. She knows the kid's eyes are still closed and her hands are still covering her ears.

"We have to find a way to"-

"What Clark? Make this work? " she scoffs. "Oh _I _know, we can stay here while you and Lana play house, and then a year from now, maybe you and I can sleep together just to ensure the kid's continued existence; and then what? _Jesus _Kent! You should have sent her back as soon as she got here. At least she could've spent more time with her real family before you end up erasing her whole existence from the face of the planet!" She yells while getting into her car and slamming the door shut.

Clark moves to stand in front of the car. If Lois wants to take his child away from him, she'll have to be willing to run him over. Sure, it won't hurt him in the least; but he doubts she'll do it.

Lois glances back at Jo'an. Still no change. Good. She's sure it'd be traumatizing for the kid to witness her daddy being hit by a car.

Lois puts the keys in the ignition.

Clark doesn't move.

Lois starts up the car.

Clark doesn't move.

Lois puts the car in 'drive'.

Clark doesn't move.

Lois presses down on the gas.

Clark doesn't move.

Lois mashes down on the breaks and sighs. Of course she can't do it. She rolls down the window and waits for Clark to come to her. He still doesn't move. He stays right there in front of the car until she puts the car in park, pulls the key out of the ignition, drops it into her purse, and holds both of her hands up to show him that they're empty.

She doesn't make eye contact with him; not even once, as he walks along the side of the car. She just stares through the windshield at a very far-away Lana Lang.

"You have to choose Clark," she says once he's at her window. She digs in her purse and pulls her keys out. "It's either her" She nods her head toward the child in the back seat, while putting the key into the ignition once again. "Or _her_" She nods toward the barn where Clark can just make out Lana's form.

Lois shakes her head and starts the car at his silence. "You can't have both," she says softly; a little sympathetically even; and he's reminded of how much Lois Lane actually knows him; because that's what he was just thinking. He wants both.

He watches Lois pull off and runs a hand through his hair. Frustrated, is a word that can't even begin to describe the way he's feeling right now; but can't think of a stronger one right now. Lois is right. He _can't _have both.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Wednesday July 14th .


	20. Chapter 20

**Winthjo: **Lol. I think that would only work if Clark did it as she's invulnerable.

**Jujuchick16:** I kinda figured you'd like that.

**Clois forever: **The ending was a little depressing wasn't it? Well the 14th is here. Hope you enjoy.

**C im am a dragon, wizziewoo123, framework4, and monaivendork: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Jeremy Shane:** Good grief, your review nearly gave me a heart attack. I don't think I've seen you write more than that; well except for that one time on my other story. I reckon we feel pretty much the same about Ms. Lang; I just feel as if I have to be objective when writing her so that my story'll work.

**Cathy: **You're right, that could be a lot of fun; Lois understanding Ollie and Chloe are together in the future. Maybe I can try and work it into the next chapter if you like. Thank you!

**Garces01: **wow, since I started. I just looked back and I think that was two months ago. Eeek. I'll be so glad when I'm done. I just don't know when that will be.

Thank you! I really did make an effort to be different. I read this one story here called "Past Imperfect" about half a year ago and it was good. Like, really good. I loved it. I don't exactly remember everything, just the major events; but I didn't want my story to be just like that one. I had to change Jo'an because originally she was sweet and adorable and angelic and shy; and she was a little too much like Cira. And then I realized Jo'an is basically going to be carrying this story; she can't be cute and cuddly; and then I remembered Jo'an was raised by Lois, And Kara, and Chloe, And Oliver, and probably Bart and A.C. and Victor. There's no way in hell she'd be cuddly.

So thank you again!

.**wtchcool: **Lol. No, that wasn't a cliff hanger. That was just me ending the chapter at 12:22am.

**Sailorgirl129: **Wow! Thanks! I don't know about "one of the best", but I'm so glad you're liking it.

**Lilbit4: **Lol. Yeah a no brainer for a scarecrow like Clark. H seriously needs to go see the wizard.

**Fist finder: **Oh boy, that is a long message. Lol. Yeah, I know who the black canary and green arrow are; but sadly Dinah's not in this story at all. It'd make too many triangles and such. I've already got a handful to deal with as of now. And losing you a reader is not something I'd just ignore, but at the same time my hands are tied. Yes, there have been a few people review and tell me they don't like 'Chlollie'; but for every one person who tells me they hate the pairing, another two or three tell me they love it and ask if I can write more. I'm really sorry; but I'm a 'majority rules' gal. And the majority want Chlollie. But if you really do feel the need to stop reading this fic, what can I do about it? You probably don't like much of the story anyway if you're complaining about a couple I hardly write about; and when I do, they're mostly arguing.

You're right; but I can't tell you exactly _who _showed Jo'an what Davis Looks like. I can only tell you that the person isn't related to the little girl.

Lol. I never understood that disguise as well; but I think by the time I started watching Superman I was used to it. I grew up watching sailor moon; so the fact that no one on the cartoon could figure out that Serena and sailor moon are one and the same kinda prepared me for people not knowing Clark and superman are one and the same.

Thank you! Hope to hear from you again. I do love long reviews.

**Reeven: **Awwwww Reeven, don't be sad, the story's not over yet. And I didn't even think about what you wrote about Lois wanting Clark to choose her. I honestly didn't mean for her to mean it like that.

**Samse: **I think she handled herself pretty well too. I think I would've fainted, or died. Lol.

**Madlenita: **I know, I actually laughed a couple of times when I was writing that scene. Thank you!

**CoLdBlAdE: **Nah, I figured Lois Lane would do some yelling; no crying. Save that for emergencies.

**Jmjames: **The 'I must've been drunk ' line; probably my favorite out of this whole chapter. And I agree, Jo'an shouldn't have been there. The poor baby. I just want to give her a hug sometimes. Thank you!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Davis Bloom opens his eyes slowly. He can't move. He can barely breathe. He feels like he got hit by a truck. No, a train; or maybe a truck, then a train. Yeah, that sounds more like it.

He blinks against a sudden blinding light; and winces at the sound of curtains being pulled back. Although in his current state of being, he doesn't recognize the sound for what it is. It's just noise. Painful noise.

"Were you expecting a chorus of angels?"

That voice. He's heard it before. Where, he can't say; though it doesn't help that he can barely remember his own name at the moment. He makes an effort to get up. He still can't move. And if he _could _move, he still wouldn't be able to move. He's been bandaged up; literally from head to toe. Yet even in his condition, he can tell he's not in an emergency room. There are too many different colors on the walls.

_Then where am I?_

"I apologize for the state that you're in."

Davis watches as a woman he doesn't recognize leisurely makes her way toward him and sits down on the bed beside him. And not just beside him either. She sits close to him; uncomfortably and intimately close.

"I didn't expect you to end up like this."

All Davis can do is look up at the stranger as she gets _even _closer to him; leaning forward just a little _too_ far to remove a piece of the bandage from his face.

"I was trying to kill you."

At first, Davis isn't sure he heard what he thought he heard the woman say. Her words didn't match the tone of her voice, or the expression on her face. How can someone announce to another human being that she'd made an attempt on his life as if she's merely asking for the time and date of a child's birthday party? But she continues; and Davis realizes she's serious when she says something about it being harder than she thought. He balks at the woman's words, on the inside of course. He doubts his face can even register the shock he's feeling.

"_I forget. What's the prayer for dismembering a body?"_

That was the voice. This lady here was, _is, _the lady who'd called him on the phone just before his vehicle went up in flames. Wait, his car had blown up. His car had blown up with him still inside; _and _he's still alive.

_How the hell?_

And then he remembers another incident. Another near death experience with yet _another _woman. Lois Lane to be precise. At least he thought she was Lois until she broke off a piece of the metal posts on one of the hospital beds and rammed it into his gut.

"And today, you proved my theory."

His attention is brought back to the woman before him when she grabs a book off the nightstand next to him and stands. Warily, he watches and listens to her as she begins to weave a tale of little boys, and Kansas, and meteors, and spaceships.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

"Thanks for letting us crash here tonight Ollie."

Oliver glances down at the stuffed suitcase and smirks.

"Just tonight? You sure you're not trying to move in?"

Lois acknowledges the attempt her friend is making to try and get her to smile; but she looks over at Jo'an and can't.

Oliver looks over at the child as well. According to Lois, she hasn't said a word since they left the farm, in fact she hasn't made a sound; and even though she kept her eyes closed the whole ride over, she somehow managed to _not _fall asleep. Then, when Oliver opened the door just now, the child just walked by him without so much of a glance his way and headed straight for the couch; where she's taken to staring down at her lap and kicking her legs back and forth.

Oliver rubs the back of his neck and sighs. "I'm sorry," he apologizes to Lois for being so insensitive. Right now is _not _the best time to make jokes.

Lois waves the apology away. The way she sees it, Oliver Queen has nothing to be sorry about. He's doing her a huge favor by letting her stay here. She _is_ his ex after all. This could be awkward in so many ways; but she called him up after driving around in her car with no particular plans for shelter not even an hour ago anyway, and told him what had happened.

He listened to her while she told him about finding out Jo'an came from the future and that Clark doesn't want to send her back because he's afraid she won't make it to _her _time or something like that. Then she told him about how she was still a little confused by that, but before she could ask Clark to explain it better, Lana burst through the door; and shortly afterward the both of them got into it. Then she had to explain to him that while she was packing her stuff back at the farm the only thought on her mind was the fact that she needed to get outta there; so she didn't put forth any thoughts as to where she was going to go, or what she was going to do; she just knew she couldn't stay there with Clark and Lana and the kid. She let him know that she swore at herself when she remembered the kid. She just knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to want to go with her 'mommy'; because even when she first met the kid, and they could barely get along then, (not that they got along much better now) the little girl followed her everywhere. So she shrugged her shoulders, murmured "fine", and decided to take the kid too; but _only_ to skip the 'mommy I want to go with you' drama; and with that decision made, she packed some of Jo'an's clothing as well. It barely took her a full minute to tell Oliver the whole story because she was rambling so fast; and she didn't exhale until she'd finished.

He laughed at her at first; only Lois Lane takes the 'shoot first ask questions later' approach in everything she does. Only Lois would pack her bags and leave in a hurry only to remember her cousin's place is too small for overnight guests; and that she didn't really have enough money for a hotel, which is why she was staying at the farm in the first place; and that sleeping in the car might not sound like such an awesome adventure to the child. Of course he said yes. He could never resist Lois Lane.

Oliver nudges Lois and nods his head in Jo'an's direction. She shakes her head.

"Go," he whispers.

"I can't," she whispers back.

"She needs you."

"What if she doesn't?"

"She does."

"Uh-uh, you do it."

"Lois!" he hisses.

"What? You're 'Uncle Ollie'."

"Yes, but you're her mother."

"Not yet."

"Lois, look at her."

Reluctantly Lois does as she's told. The kid looks like she's about to cry. Lois Lane does not know what to do with crying children.

"Joey's a great kid. You're obviously a great mother Lois," Oliver encourages, accurately reading her doubts and fears when it came to her ability to comfort children.

"Stop calling her Joey," Lois snaps back automatically.

"See," Oliver grins at her.

She doesn't smile back, just glances anxiously from him to the kid.

"Come with me," she pleads.

He sighs and shakes his head. "Fine," he relents; "but you're doing the talking."

She nods her head slowly. He takes pity on her and grabs her hand.

"Uh, Junior?" Lois whispers once she's standing in front of the child.

Jo'an doesn't answer; in fact, she gives no sign whatsoever that she's heard her mother speak at all; not a small flinch, not a wringing of her fingers, not even an extra blink.

Lois sighs and looks at Oliver; 'I told you' is the expression she's giving him.

He gives her one back. It clearly says 'try again'.

Lois nods her head and takes a deep breath.

_Jeez Lane, get it together. She's a kid, not…_

Even in her thought's Lois draws a blank. There's no scary person Lois can think of at the moment to compare Jo'an with. It's as simple as there is no one she's more afraid of right now than the kid.

"Uh," she bites her bottom lip and gives Oliver another look. He smiles at her reassuringly before turning his attention back to the child; encouraging Lois to do the same.

Lois takes another step toward Jo'an and lets go of Oliver's hand.

She can do this.

She kneels down before the child and stares at her. She can still hear the child make sobbing noises in her throat, and wishes she would just let it out already.

"You can cry if you want," Lois blurts out before she can stop herself.

Jo'an doesn't look up at her mother; but she speaks, which Lois would consider progress if the little girl hadn't said, "Lanes don't cry."

Lois frowns at her. That's total B.S. She's seen the kid cry before and she lets the little girl know it.

"It was an accident," comes Jo'an's watery reply. "I won't do it anymore, I promise."

Lois looks back at Oliver. What's she supposed to say to that?

Jo'an gets up slowly and begins to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Lois asks while grabbing the child's hand before she gets too far away.

"To bed."

"Don't you want to eat first?"

"No ma'am."

Lois lets the child go. Oliver was wrong. She's not a good mother. She's just like the general. She remembers the way she yelled 'march!' at the little girl just last night and the way Jo'an performed a perfect 'about face' before 'marching' away; and the "yes ma'ams" and "no ma'ams" and "Lanes don't cry"; who the hell would tell a six year old not to cry? She would; that's who, all because _she _can't handle it.

She stares at the kids retreating back; and shakes her head. The child never had a fighting chance.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Davis opens his eyes…again. He's in the same room, the room that is _definitely_ not a part of a hospital wing. But it's not the same as the last time. This time he can get out of the bed. And he does. Quickly. Too Quickly. He grunts and bends over slightly, grabbing on to his stomach. He's still in a good amount of pain; though one glance down at his bare chest lets him know he's completely without bruising and scarring.

He doesn't have the time to dwell on that right now though. He's gotta get outta here. Now. Before that woman comes back and tries to kill him again.

He glances downward and there, at the foot of the bed, is a change of clothes. It makes him a little uneasy. It's as if she expected him to get up.

He dresses quickly, deciding it would be better to be caught roaming around here, wherever _here _is, wearing clothes rather than his birthday suit.

Quietly, he sneaks out of the room and into the hallway. So far so good until…

He cocks his head to the side as he recognizes a door; more so, its handle. He reaches his hand out to touch it and immediately he remembers something. He was a boy; a young boy. He was playing sword fight with another boy. A boy who didn't have hair. The other boy 'killed' him. "Slain the beast," were the words the boy without hair used. And for slaying the beast he got to collect the 'treasure'; which happened to be a small box on Luthor Senior's desk; but when the young Luthor opened his treasure box up, the rock inside glowed green and made young Davis scream out in pain. And when the young Luthor shut the box, the pain stopped. Instantly.

Davis shakes his head, coming back to present time. There _is _a way. A way for him to end this once and for all.

With a newfound sense of determination, he searches for the exit. There's going to be one more woman who makes an attempt on his life; and this time, with his help, she's going to succeed. He can't think of a more perfect solution; and he almost smiles. Chloe Sullivan's will be the last face he sees before he dies.


	21. Chapter 21

**Wizziewoo123, 1000greensun, c im am a dragon, Jeremy Shane, Wtchcool, Madlenita : **Thank you!

**Pompeypearly: **Agreed. The Lane girls are not having a good day.

**lunrRain: **Who's Stewart? Is he the young guy that worked for Tess? And I'm sorry if you feel I ignored your last request. 'Future Lois' is going to be in a prequel/ companion piece after I'm done with this. Who knows when that'll be.

**Katlynne: **I know, I just feel awful for putting her through this.

**Garces01: **lol. Sorry about that. This chapter is a little longer. Hope you enjoy it.

**Cathy: **ok, hope you like it.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Don't worry about it. Although I do love to hear from you guys, I'm not going to be angry with you if you forget to review. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I really hope you have a good one!

**JUJUChick16: **Lol. I don't think Clark would _ever _do that.

**Reeven: "**no mama no baby" Lol. I literally laughed out loud.

**Ghostfile: **Thank you! I was going for realistic, by Smallville standards anyway.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark takes a deep breath before knocking on his best friend's door. He hardly ever knocks; but this is one of those rare times he feels he needs permission to enter.

"Hey C.K. What's up?" Jimmy Olsen slurs slightly after opening the door.

Clark frowns at him, wandering if Chloe actually _did _slip something into his drink earlier today; because if she did, she put a little too much.

"Can you tell Lois to come to the door please?" Clark asks.

There's a reason he's here; and as insensitive as it may sound, it's not to wonder about Jimmy's state of health. He wants his daughter back; even if that means Lois too. He's prepared to do whatever it takes; beg, grovel, run around Smallville naked if she asks; and knowing Lois, there's a good chance that she will.

"Uh," Jimmy blinks heavily. "Lois isn't here."

Clark quickly scans the apartment. Jimmy's not lying. There's no one in there besides him.

"Where is she?" Clark asks a little impatiently.

"Uh," Jimmy blinks as if it is physically hurting him to think. "I don't think I know."

"Where's Chloe?" Clark sighs. He's getting nowhere with her husband. At least Chloe will be lucid enough to answer the question; and there's no doubt in his mind that she knows where her cousin is.

"With…uh….with the EMT guy," Jimmy answers; but it sounds more like a question.

"What EMT guy?" Clark frowns.

"You know; the _guy_. The uh…the amb'lance driver. What's his name?"

Clark takes in a sharp breath. Surely he doesn't mean…there's no way Chloe would…she wouldn't.

"Davis?" he whispers.

"Yeah, him. That's the guy," Jimmy tries to snap his fingers together, but they miss each other completely.

"Jimmy," Clark grabs the man by his shoulders and stares unblinkingly into his eyes, willing him to focus through the haze and fog surrounding his brain at the moment. "Where did they go?"

"I don't know," he blinks rapidly.

"Well what did they say?"

"Uh…the guy said he had emergency."

"And?" Clark prompts, giving Jimmy a gentle shake, which isn't exactly as gentle as he means for it to be.

"Chloe said she knows where to go…get some…or something," Jimmy adds with a frown.

'Okay Jimmy. Thank you," Clark says before shutting the door in his face. He'll apologize for that later, but finding Chloe right now is more important than remembering his manners. He quickly tunes into his super hearing and dials Chloe's number. She doesn't answer; he didn't think she would. In fact, he even _expected _her to hit the ignore button and send him straight to voicemail; but he got what he needed anyway. And as soon as he hears his ringtone, he speeds off in that direction.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Lois Lane is _not_ drunk. Yet. But she wants to be. She's been standing in the doorway of Oliver's bedroom watching the little girl sleep for all of ten minutes. She hasn't even had a sip of the drink she's been holding since she poured it; and that was about…eleven minutes ago.

She sighs and takes a few steps into the bedroom, noisily sitting the glass on top of the dresser. The girl doesn't so much as stir; which is just as well. Lois doesn't quite have the courage to face her while she's awake yet.

She quietly makes her way over to the child and smiles to herself. Jo'an didn't take her shoes off before getting into Oliver's bed. He's gonna have a fit. And although she'd rather see his reaction to the muddy shoe prints in his bed; she decides to give him a break. He _is_ letting her stay here for 'as long as she wants'.

But when she reaches over to remove the child's shoes however, she snatches her hand back to her side. She's pathetic. She can't even touch the child.

She kneels down before the bed; elbows on the mattress, chin on her knuckles; and stares at the child a little more. A strand of hair falls into Jo'an's face; and automatically Lois reaches out to move it; but the little girl opens her eyes; and for the second time, Lois snatches her hand back from touching her.

"Sorry," she mumbles before getting up and heading for the door.

Jo'an frowns and sits up.

"You're not sleeping in here too?"

"Uh, no," Lois stops and faces the child nervously. "I'm going to take the couch."

"Okay," Jo'an says while hopping out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"With you," the child answers before grabbing her mother's hand and practically dragging her out of the bedroom.

Lois can't help but to feel a little better. The kid doesn't _seem_ to be mad at her. She was sure she would be for making her leave her father behind.

"Um," Jo'an stops abruptly, causing Lois to walk into her. "Am I never gonna see my daddy again?"

"Um, I think so," Lois answers with a frown; and upon seeing Jo'an's frown she adds, "Yeah, I'm sure you're gonna see him soon."

Jo'an looks down at her feet. "Do you think Daddy loves me like he loves Lana?"

"Yes," Lois answers, hoping it's the right one. Apparently it's not because the child just sighs and continues to stare at her feet.

"Look kid, Clark loves you _and_ Lana; but in different ways. You're both important to him okay?" Lois breaks it down for her.

"Okay" Jo'an says, finally looking up at Lois. "When are _you_ going to be important to him too?"

Lois shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, soon I guess," she lies. That's a question she'd rather not have the answer to.

"Oh….Can I have something to eat now?"

"So _now_ you're hungry," Lois smirks.

"Uh-huh, but this time can Uncle Ollie make dinner for me?"

"Of course I'll make dinner for you," Oliver laughs loudly, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

"Jeez, where the hell did you come from!" Lois jumps and places a hand over her heart. Just a second ago she would've sworn on her own life that it was just her and the kid in the apartment.

Oliver just laughs and scoops the little girl up into his arms. "What do you want Uncle Ollie to make?" he asks cheerfully.

"Um…spaghetti?"

"Spaghetti it is then."

"Or," Lois interrupts. "I can order pizza."

"Pizza!" Jo'an squeals excitedly and jumps down from Oliver's arms to embrace Lois excitedly.

"Pizza it is," Lois grins down at Jo'an, then over at Oliver. "She wants pizza, not spaghetti," she whispers unnecessarily while pulling her phone out to order; subliminally implying that Jo'an wants her and not him.

"Yes, can I get three large pizzas," she says into the phone a few seconds later. "What do you want on yours?" she asks Jo'an.

"Cheese," The little girl answers promptly

Oliver frowns slightly. "Lois, are you ordering everyone their _own _pizza?"

"Uh-huh," she answers Oliver. "Just cheese?" she asks Jo'an.

"Lois," Oliver tries again. Are you ordering _Jo'an _her own pizza?"

"I'm not sharing mine," Lois answers absently.

"Fine, I'll share mine with her," Oliver says. He can't eat a large pizza by himself anyway. He might as well share with his niece.

"But Uncle Ollie, I _want _my own."

"You can't eat a whole pizza by yourself Joey."

"I know _that_, but Mommy always let's me eat the rest for breakfast."

"Hold on," Lois covers the mouth piece with her hand. "You'll eat pizza for breakfast, but not string beans?"

Both Oliver and Jo'an scrunch up their eyebrows and answer "yeah" as if they're actually saying 'duh' before catching each other's eyes and laughing.

"Whatever," Lois mutters with a roll of her eyes, before continuing with her order. "What do you want on your pizza Ollie?

"I know what I want on mine."

Everyone turns at the sound of a voice that doesn't belong to any of them; and who they see is a young man walking up to Oliver with a serious frown on his face.

"Dude, there's nothing in the fridge," Bart Allen says with a look on his face that suggests Oliver just tried to murder him.

"Bobo!" Jo'an screams before launching herself at him. He's fast; but he did _not _see that coming.

He falls backwards.

Jo'an doesn't let up. Completely unfazed by the fall, she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses his cheek repeatedly.

Oliver and Lois exchange looks. "_Bobo?"_

"I think there's a 'girl Clark' sitting on my chest and I want a meat lover's pizza," Bart groans while rubbing the back of his head. "With extra cheese, hey, did you just call me…_Bobo_?"

"Uh-huh," Jo'an grins down at him.

"Okay," Bart shrugs and looks back up at Oliver. "And extra ham, and extra pepperoni, and extra"-

"I get it," Lois interrupts. "You want extra everything. Who is he?" She whispers to Oliver.

"Friend of the family," Oliver shrugs.

"Okay, but you're paying for his."

Oliver scowls at the back of Lois's head, but he_ is_ happy about her being in a better mood. Now to lift her spirits all the way. He frowns a little before walking over to his niece and her 'Bobo'. This is going to hurt like hell.

"Hey Joey, you wanna see Mommy yell at me?"

Both Jo'an and Bart nod their head vigorously. They're still in the same exact position from when Jo'an tackled the young man down.

"Not you," Oliver smacks Bart lightly on the back of the head.

"Hey!"

"Joey, you're gonna have to get up off of Ba-Bobo for this okay?"

"Okay," Jo'an practically leaps up off of Bart as if she's got springs in her shoes.

Oliver picks Jo'an up and positions her on his shoulders.

"Bart, help me with this," he whispers, warily looking back at Lois who is still on the phone and not paying attention.

"No way," Bart scoffs.

"Bart."

"Nunh- uh. I've heard stories about the Lane lady. Scary stories. You're on your own."

"I'll give you half of my pizza."

"_Half_?"

"Half."

"Okay," Bart shrugs.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

"Mommy, look at me!"

Lois hangs up her phone and faces the child. Her automatic 'stop calling me that' response is on the tip of her tongue, but she swallows it. She can't exactly tell the kid she's not her mommy anymore.

When she sees Jo'an, her jaw drops; her heart stops; and all other things the body involuntarily does while a person's in shock happens. The kid is standing, _standing, _on Oliver's shoulders.

"Hey Joey, I bet you can't stand on one leg," Oliver challenges.

That kick starts her heart. "The hell she can; Oliver, put her down!"

"No wait Lois, just watch; she's got a great sense of balance."

"That's boring Uncle Ollie," Jo'an glares down at him.

"Yeah dude," Bart chimes in. "Stand on one foot? What is this, Kindergarten? Hey Jo, why don't you try a front flip? I'll catch ya."

"Yeah!" Jo'an squeals and her eyes light up.

"No!" Lois yells even louder; as she reaches her hands to catch Jo'an should she fall; or decide to do that godforsaken front flip.

"But Mommy, I can do it. I _know _I can. Just watch."

"Yeah Lois, just watch," Oliver winks.

"Jo'an Lane Kent! You get your ass down from there right now!"

"But Mommy I"-

"Now!" Lois yells.

"Awww," Jo'an pouts while carefully sitting down on Oliver's shoulders. Lois throws her arms out, reaching for the little girl and Jo'an reluctantly reaches for her mother as well. Lois all but snatches the child from Oliver, nearly taking his head with her. Quickly, she set the Jo'an down and turns back to Oliver. There's only one thought on her mind; and it's 'Kick. His. Ass.'

She smacks him open handedly across the face. Bart lets out a low whistle and chuckles as Lois begins to attack.

Oliver doesn't fight back; but he does defend himself; blocking blows to his face and kicks to his torso.

"Betcha some of your pizza Mommy wins," Jo'an whispers loudly to Bart. Personally, he thinks the little girl is right; but he can't help but to root for the guy. It's a guy thing.

"Alright, one slice says Oliver pins Lane down first."

"Two slices," Jo'an bargains.

"No way, just one," Bart rebuttals. There's no way he's giving the kid more than one slice of his pizza when she wins.

Jo'an beams at him. Even Bobo knows there's no way she's losing this bet.

"What are you smiling at? If Oliver doesn't win it's only because he doesn't want to hurt your mommy."

Jo'an scoffs at him and shakes her head. "Nuh-uh, Uncle Ollie is _human_. Mommy's gonna kill him. See," Jo'an points at the no longer wrestling adults. "You owe me a piece-a-pizza."

Lois is straddling Oliver; his hands are pinned to his side by her legs; and her hands are wrapped around his throat.

Jo'an quickly walks over to her mother and uncle.

"Mommy, stop it. Uncle Ollie can't breathe," she says conversationally while sitting down beside his head. Oliver gasps when Lois loosens her hold on him just a little.

"Dude," Bart glares down at Oliver. "You lost to a girl."

"And you're next _Bozo," _Lois growls; making the young man take several steps back.

"See Lois," Oliver chokes out. "I told you you're a good mother."

Lois's fingers begin to tighten around Oliver's neck again. He nearly killed her kid, just to what, prove she has _maternal_ instincts. That stupid stunt didn't prove anything. Anyone with half a brain knows you don't stand a kid on your shoulders and encourage her to do a flip.

"Mommy!" Jo'an reprimands while prying Lois's hands from Oliver's throat. "You can't kill Uncle Ollie for real okay. I love him. Bobo, go get some ice."

"A little bossy there aren't we Lane Junior?"

Jo'an narrows her at him. "Ice Bobo."

"You could at least say please," Bart mumbles to himself.

"Please," Jo'an calls with a roll of her eyes.

Bart comes back a few seconds later.

"Slow poke," Jo'an teases while reaching for the ice.

"Slow poke? Did you just call moi a slow poke? How about a race Kent Junior."

Jo'an giggles. "I gotta fix Uncle Ollie first."

Lois watches as Jo'an lays Oliver's head in her lap and presses the ice to his face.

Oliver groans loudly; exaggerating a bit for his mini nurse.

"You've done this before," Lois states.

"Yep, when Uncle Ollie wants you to feel better, he makes you really mad, and then you fight, and he loses and you feel better; but you usually don't try to _kill_ him," Jo'an adds as an afterthought.

Lois frowns. Oddly enough, she _does _feel better; but instead of admitting that to the man beneath her; she mutters "I can't believe I let you call him 'Uncle Ollie,'" to Jo'an instead.

"I _have_ to call him Uncle Ollie; because Aunt Chloe's 'Aunt Chloe'."

Lois frowns slightly. What does Chloe have to do with-"Oh my God!" Lois exclaims once she remembers a certain conversation about a certain Inn so certain people could get 'alone time'. Of their own accord, her fingers begin to wrap around Oliver's neck again.

"Get him," Bart eggs her on. It didn't even take him a full second to catch onto the fact that the green bean stole his precious Chloelicious from him.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Thursday, July 22nd.


	22. Chapter 22

**Twisted sky: **Thanks! I know you guys are looking forward to the falling in love part, it's coming. Slowly but surely.

**Katylynne: **I figured you guys would like the mini nurse, and the Lois and Oliver scene. I had so much fun writing it. Lol.

**Wizziewoo123: **Aww, don't do that to me. Then the story will jump from thirty chapters to like forty. I don't think everyone has that much patience. Lol. No, but seriously, if you want it, I'll see what I can do;)

**Stop dreaming, Wtchcool: **Thanks! I loved the Bobo thing. I don't know if I'll explain the reason she calls him that in _this _story or another one.

**Framework4, Jeremy Shane, and batgirl2992: **Thank you!

**brainchild: **I know I know, more Chlollie; it's taking a while, but I can't just shove 'em together because of Jimmy; but I promise there _will _be more. You guys are so demanding. I love it. Keeps me on my toes. And I'm such a sucker for feedback and reviews I end up giving ya whatever you want. Well, _almost_. Lol. Thank you for your review!

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **lol. Thank you. Lois and Oliver are fun to write, when it's concerning Jo'an anyway. And yeah, you rhymed, but that's okay. Oh, and I'm glad you had a good birthday.

**Cathy: **Wow, I had no idea you guys would like this so much, especially the Bobo thing. I was nervous; like really really nervous about this chapter; so thank you.

**Gladius grim: **thank you! I'm glad you like the choices I made for the story so far. Some of these things are what I really believe would happen.

**Lady Di: **I know. They didn't have a way for me to make this a humor/family/drama so I just settled for humor/family. There's a bit more drama to go though.

**Cathy03: **"beast" and "belle". Hilarious.

**R-Gomeni: **Wow. Thank you! I wouldn't say it's better than most, but I understand what you're saying. I don't believe in sunshine and rainbows every day. A little rain is healthy. Thank you again!

**Samse: **lol, thank you. I'm glad you like Bart, and I'll see what I can do about adding more. As far as more 'Jo'an stories', I've thought of a few so far; but I haven't written them down yet.

**IceQueen825: **Lol. I think right now, Lois is thinking more along the lines of artificial insemination at this point in time.

**Madlenita: **Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**NaomiBlue: **gotta love Bart, he's such an easygoing guy.

**Iluvaqt: **Wow, I keep forgetting that just because someone doesn't review, doesn't mean they're not following the story. Thank you, I'm glad you're still pleased by the story and I hope you like the rest of it.

**KirstenReese: **2 hours, wow! How the heck did you do that? Did you even get to take a bathroom break? Lol. I'm flattered. Thank you! Yes, my godchildren are a _lot _like Jo'an. Well, my goddaughter is. My godson's a little more quiet. And he's a boy. And he just turned nine, so he doesn't really ask me to pick him up anymore.

**Graces 01: **Wow! You read that more than once? "Whatever it takes" Clark meant to convince Lois to go back to the farm. I don't think he means Lana. You'll see why in this chapter.

Ollie, Lois and Jo'an do make a nice family; but that's in the future because Clark's not around. Clark's around now, so I figure he might try to change that.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Oliver's place. This is where Chloe told him Lois and his daughter are. He lets out a heavy sigh. Just when he thought his day couldn't get any worse, it did.

After Lois left, Lana left too. He asked her to stay; but knew it wouldn't make a difference. Her mind was made up. He got the feeling she'd overheard the conversation between him and Lois; and subconsciously he was glad she'd taken the choice out of his hands.

Then his best friend went off with a serial killer, who wasn't even human…alone. And when he caught up to her, Davis Bloom was in the same kryptonite wired cage he'd been trapped in not even a year ago; and Chloe's hand was on the lever…about to pull it. Originally, he'd been all for getting rid of the beast; but when he saw a 'man' in that cage, a man who 'just wanted it all to end'; it suddenly became a much harder decision to end his life.

In the end, it didn't matter that he didn't have the guts to end another man's life. Upon seeing Clark, the man began to 'change', Chloe pulled the lever, and they both watched Davis Bloom die.

Clark sucks in a deep breath before knocking on the door. He understands why Lois came here; but did she really have to? Jo'an's known Oliver her whole life. He probably changed her diaper; was there for her first steps, her first word, her first day of school; her first everything. How is he supposed to compete with that? Oliver Queen was basically his daughter's 'father'; while he was just a bedtime story for her. There's absolutely no doubt in his mind she'd want to stay here with 'Mommy' and 'Uncle Ollie, rather than come home with him.

_So then why are you here?_

It's a very good question; but instead of trying to figure out an answer for it he knocks on the door again.

"Lane! Pizza's here! Get off of him!"

Clark frowns.

_Bart? What's he doing here? And what did he mean by 'get off of him'? What's going on in there?_

"I'm not finished yet!" Lois yells back.

It takes all of Clark's willpower to keep from using his x-ray vision. He isn't even supposed to be using his hearing; but he can't help it. That one comes a little more naturally to him.

"But I'm hungry now," Bart whines.

"Then go answer the door."

"So that I can get stuck with the tab while you keep doing that; and do you really want the pizza guy to see"-

"Fine! Get outta the way Bozo!"

"It's Bobo." There's a small pause before, "Bo-Bozo's fine. If that's you know, how you want to pronounce it and stuff. I was just, you know, you know…"

"Yeah, I know," Lois says while opening the door. She frowns when she sees Clark.

"You're not the pizza guy," she deadpans.

Clark frowns back at her. Her clothes are disheveled, she's breathing heavy, and she's sweating.

_What on earth were they doing in there? _Clark thinks to himself before tipping his head slightly so that he can peak inside.

Lois shuts the door some; blocking his view; but not before he catches a glimpse of his daughter and Oliver sitting on the floor. Instantly, he feels relieved. Lois and her ex couldn't have been doing anything _too _'inappropriate'; not with his child sitting right there watching.

"What do you want?" Lois asks while folding her arms over her chest.

Clark's frown deepens. She already _knows_ what he wants; but does he really any other choice but to answer anyway?

"I want Jo- I want you and Jo'an to come home. Please."

Lois drops one of her arms to her side, a clear indicator that he's chipped a descent sized hole into the defensive barrier she'd just put up. He used the word 'home' on purpose; knowing that the farm was the only place she associated with it, as it was her first 'real' home.

"Where's Lana?"

Clark swallows a little. This is the tricky part.

"She's spending some time with Nell."

Lois cocks her head to the side.

"It was Lana's decision to leave wasn't it?"

Clark doesn't answer. He's not exactly sure _how_.

"Are you _trying _to think of the answer I want to hear?" she scoffs while narrowing her eyes at him. "Because I already know there's no way you'd make her leave. You wouldn't be 'Smallville' if you did."

Clark glares at Lois. If that's true, then why did she take his child from him and ask him to choose between her and the woman he loves if she knew he wouldn't be able to do it?

"You're not the pizza guy," Bart says once he opens the door to find a 'Lois and Clark' stare down. When neither of the two acknowledges his presence he quietly creeps back inside.

The two of them continue to stare at each other, even after Bart shuts the door.

"Stop!" Jo'an squeals, successfully grabbing her parents' attention.

"What now?" Lois rolls her eyes and tries to go inside. Clark grabs a hold of her hand, stopping her. She turns to face him, frowning because he's refusing to let go of her hand despite the fact that she's attempting to tug it out of his grasp.

Instead of pretending like she doesn't know what he wants she decides t just be straightforward and get this out of the way.

"I don't think I want to go back to the farm Clark," She says while trying to tug her hand loose. He doesn't let go, _and_ he takes a step closer, definitely invading her personal space.

"Lois," he pleads. And she nearly shuts her eyes so that she won't be affected by his begging ones.

"She's my daughter," he nearly whispers.

"I'm gonna pee my pants! Stop!" Jo'an Laughs. Clark frowns and stares at the closed door. Of its own accord, his x-ray vision has switched on and he's staring at Oliver tickle his daughter.

"Bobo, help me!" his daughter pleads to Bart.

Bobo. It's a nickname for Bart he realizes; and it reminds him that his daughter knows these people better than she knows him; that she's known these people longer; and that she loves them more.

"No way, you deserve this. In fact, I should help Uncle Ollie tickle ya 'til you can't breathe," Bart answers her cry for help.

Jo'an laughs some more. "I'm gonna tell Mommy!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Bart gasps. "Oliver. Dude, stop. Didn't you hear the Kent kid? If she tells Lane, I'm running away so fast, I'll leave her with questions and expose all of us."

"You wouldn't!" It's Oliver's turn to gasp.

"Dude, I swear on a million burritos I will."

"Swear on Chloe's life."

"No way man."

Lois shakes her head in amusement. She can't help but to smile at the younger man's apparent fear of her; but the smile drops when she sees Clark's face.

Clark swallows a few times as he realizes Jo'an doesn't need him. She doesn't even miss him.

Lois clears her throat; more so to get Clark's attention than anything else. "I can send her home with you if you like. She's got school tomorrow and I can only imagine what that teacher"-

Clark shakes his head, cutting her off. "No, she'll want to stay here with you."

"_And Oliver," _he adds bitterly under his breath.

Lois nods her head briefly before making another attempt to free her hand from Clark's and head inside.

He still doesn't let go.

"Can I see her?" He asks.

'Only if you let me go' is on the tip of her tongue; but making a joke right now would be a little insensitive; so she opens the door and lets him walk past her instead.

Clark's eyes immediately zero in on Jo'an. She doesn't notice him at first; just continues to laugh at something Bart or Oliver or Bobo just said; but when she _does_ see him, the laughing stops; and the ringing of the fingers begin.

Clark takes a few steps toward her; and she stands up. He can tell that she wants to back up, but she holds her ground. He frowns down at her hands; she's still ringing her finger nervously. He wants her to stop, so he places a gentle hand over hers. It's saddened him that he's the reason she feels so anxious; but he'll be out of her hair soon.

"Hey Jo'an," he says while kneeling down before her.

"Hi Daddy," Jo'an mumbles before looking down at her shoes.

"I just wanted to say goodnight."

Jo'an brings her head up. "You're not mad at me?"

"No," Clark answers softly. "I'm not mad at you; but do you think I could get a hug before I go?"

Jo'an looks past Clark, and over at her mother. Lois frowns back at her. Certainly the kid's not asking for _permission_ to hug her fa-Clark? But when Jo'an still doesn't move, and Clark, Bart, and Oliver all turn their attention to her she shrugs her shoulders, letting the little girl know it doesn't matter to her.

Immediately Jo'an wraps her arms around her father's neck. Tightly. Clark can barely breathe, literally; but he couldn't be happier.

"Uh, Joey; I don't think your daddy can breathe," Oliver says once he notices Clarks face is nearly purple.

"I'm fine," Clark gasps. He's really not. He really can't breathe. But he really doesn't care.

"Do you _have_ to go?" Jo'an whines.

"Yes he does. We should _all _go now; or you'll be going to school in your jammies," Lois sighs deeply.

"We're going home with Daddy? You too?" Jo'an exclaims before running over to Lois and embracing her into a big hug.

"Ok, ok, get your stuff before I change my mind," Lois tells Jo'an while trying to get her to let go. It's not the hug she minds so much. It's the way the child is making her feel.

Jo'an runs into the bedroom, quickly gathering all of their things and stuffing them into the bag.

Clark walks over to Lois, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're welcome; but don't you dare hug me too," she warns.

His smile widens as he scoops her up into an almighty bear hug.

"Put me down," she grunts while trying to slap at him. It doesn't do her any good as her arms are pinned to her side.

"Thank you," he says genuinely and she relaxes in his arms a little; but only because she knows he won't put her down until she stops trying to hit him.

"Can you put me down now?"

He does as she asks; and turns to face the guys with a bright smile. "Hi Oliver, Bart"

"Oh so _now _you see us?" Bart says sarcastically.

Clark doesn't take any offense. The young man is absolutely right.

But then he sees a little something under Oliver's eye and squints a little before asking, "What happened to our face?"

"Dude," Bart interrupts. "Oliver got his ass handed to him by"-

Lois quickly walks over to Bart and steps on his foot.

"Oww, what did I do?"

"Just keep your mouth shut Bozo."

"Lois," Clark frowns. "_You_ did that?"

"No, he fell. A lot."

"Why'd you"-

"Hey look, it's Junior. And she's got all our stuff packed. Time to go home," Lois interrupts and heads toward the door.

"Lois!" Clark calls while rushing to catch up.

"What?" Lois asks innocently; as if she doesn't know what he's calling her name for.

"Why won't you tell me?"

"It's none of your business."

"Fine, Jo'an, why did Lois hit Oliver?" Clark asks without taking his eyes off of Lois; because if he had, he would've noticed that Jo'an wasn't behind her parents yet.

"No way Kent. Were not bringing the kid into this."

"Why not?"

"It's cheating."

"Cheating?"

"Bye Uncle Ollie. Bye Bobo," Jo'an kisses them both goodbye before following her arguing parents out the door.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Last chapter, I had Bart in it, but I was really nervous abut it, so I almost took him out. Then **Junigirl **messaged me, and asked if I could put Bart in the story; so I left him. She also mentioned wanting Bart to stare daggers at Oliver because the 'green bean' stole his 'Chloelicious'. I guess what I'm unsuccessfully trying to do is give **Junigirl** credit for the 'green bean'/'Chlolicious line because everyone loved it so much.

Also, I know you guys wanted Clark to choose Jo'an over Lana; but he's just not there yet. I don't think he would ever be able to do it. Sorry if you're a little disappointed with this chapter.

Next post will be Monday, July 26th.


	23. Chapter 23

**JUJUchick16: **agreed. Jo'an is such a cutie. I almost wish she really was on Smallville.

**Madlenita: **Thanks, and this time it'll be a little different from the show. I know a lot of you will be relieved.

**Jjjj: **Thanks! Lol. We'll see.

**Wizziewoo123: **Okay, but it's going to make the story even longer. (singsong voice) lol.

**Wtchcool: **Thank you. I thought the 'he fell, a lot' line would be kinda fun.

**Katlynne: **Thanks; he didn't really choose Lana over Jo'an. He couldn't choose at all. But I get what you're saying. Hope you like the next chapter.

**Jeremy Shane: **Thanks. And yeah, that was a little harsh, but if that's how you feel… I just hope you're able to enjoy the story still.

**AllieJGK: **Thank you. Rambling's fine with me, don't worry about it. As for your request, it's already been done. 'great minds' and such;)

**LunrRain: **lol. I get it; sometimes I feel like kissing you guys too when you leave me such nice reviews; but as I can't, I settle for trying my best to add your requests to the story; well, if I feel I can work it in there without screwing anything up. Thank you!

**Ellie09: **Wow! Thank you! I feel really really flattered. I don't even know what else to say besides 'thank you' again.

**Samse: **Thank you, I think it's a little late for him to send her back though. A Clois kiss huh? Probably not anytime soon, but definitely inevitable. Lol.

**Batgirl2992: **Thank you! So glad everyone liked Bart.

**Cloismycel: **Thank you so much. I'm glad you're finally able to review;) and I'm glad you're still following the story. Thank you for understanding Clark would struggle with the Lana/Jo'an choice. I figured Clark wouldn't just dump Lana just like that.

Lol. You know, you guys are kinda spoiled. Four days is not a long time. And at least I give you time to miss me…er the story.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **thank you! I forgot you used to be a Clana shipper. I'm glad you appreciate the fact that Clark still loves Lana, and how hard this must be for him. Glad you liked the 'he fell, a lot' line. It cracked me up as well. And 'future Lois' will be in a different story. A prequel/companion piece, because I can't fit her into this one.

**198hellogoodbye: **Lol. Thanks, but you're mistaken; there were about 20 mistakes in that chapter. I didn't catch them because I'd stayed up till 6am writing it, and then I posted and went to sleep cause I had to get up for work within the next four hours; but I went back and fixed 'em. I'm not sure I caught them all, but oh well.

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Personally, I think Clark is somewhat of a tool on the show too, why not put it in this story?

Quick question, and don't think me rude, but if Clark had to choose between Lois and Jo'an (and none of the 'he should pick Lois cause they could just have another kid stuff'. Just strictly one or the other) would you want him to choose Jo'an still; 'no matter what' as you said? If yes, then maybe I _shouldn't_ have had him struggle with his Lana/Jo'an choice so bad. But if like me, you can't decide who he would choose, then you understand why I have him struggle so bad with _this _choice. The way you want Clark to feel about Lois, is the way he feels about Lana. Again, I'm not being rude. I just kinda wanted to help you understand why I made the choices I did concerning this fic. Hope you're not upset.

**Joliehaitian79: **Thank you! I'm glad you found the story again; and I'm flattered it was stuck in your head for months. I do understand what you mean about the 'bride' thing moving along. And sadly, a parent _doesn't _always choose their child. I say this from experience as well; but I do believe a parent _should _always choose their child. Don't worry, Clark will get there. I kinda want him to fall in love with Jo'an because of who she is as a person; and not just because she's his daughter. Thank you again!

**Garces01: **Thank you for not criticizing Clark, and no, Lois and Clark won't fall in love on the first day. That's just retarded;) lol. Thanks again!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Jo'an nervously kicks her legs back and forth while sitting in the 'time out' chair and watching the other kids play during recess. She's in trouble _again_. Some of it's her fault; but some of it's her daddy's fault too. _He's _the one who told her not to listen out for her mother anymore; which is what got her into trouble a couple times. Turns out, it actually takes _more _concentration to _not _concentrate on listening for her mother than it does _to _concentrate on listening to her mother, as she's been doing the latter since the first day of school. It's habit by now.

So again, whenever Ms. Robinson called on Jo'an, the little girl didn't respond.

That was how she got four of her frowny faces. They're little red stickers; and if Ms. Robinson has to put five of them by your name, you can't play at recess. If you get seven, Ms. Robinson sends a note home to your parents. There's only enough room on the board for you to get ten; but no one knows what happens if you get ten; because no one's _ever_ gotten ten.

Jo'an sighs. She has eight, and it's not fair. She didn't even do anything to deserve the last one. Well; she doesn't _think _she did anything bad enough anyway.

When it was time for the class to do 'workbooks', Jo'an finished first. Ms. Robinson called her up to her desk and checked her work. She got everything right; which didn't surprise the teacher at all. No matter how little she thought of the girl's mother, the woman was right. She needed to find something more stimulating for the child.

Before she sent Jo'an back to her seat, she asked her how everything was at home; and if her daddy had a talk with 'the whole family'. Jo'an told her teacher that it was 'house business' and none of hers; so, Ms. Robinson gave her a frowny face for being 'flip' with her.

"Hey Jo'an!"

Jo'an groans to herself. She doesn't even have to look up to know that it's Tyson; the reason for the rest of her frowny faces.

"You sure get in trouble a lot," he smirks.

Jo'an clenches her teeth together; wishing he'd just leave her alone. He's not supposed to talk to her right now anyway; but Ms. Robinson isn't looking their way. She's too busy talking to the other teachers.

"When you're in the 'time out' chair you're not allowed to get up," he says matter-of-factly.

She frowns at the dirt. She _knows _that; or else she would've gotten up a long time ago.

Suddenly he kicks her in the shins and runs off while yelling, "You can't come get me". Jo'an kicks at the dirt angrily. Why can't the teacher have seen that? He's been doing it all day; elbowing her, kicking her, pinching her; just '_everything_ing' her; yet _he_ only has two frowny faces beside his name because the teacher only caught him at it twice; and because even though the whole class saw him do all that other stuff, no one would act as a witness on Jo'an's behalf. They're all afraid of him.

He comes back and approaches her slowly and despite the fact that she isn't allowed to hit children, she's tempted to doing it anyway. Besides, she has a feeling her family would make an exception for this particular boy. She can _feel _every pinch he inflicts upon her; and when he pushes her, she falls down; for real. She doesn't have to 'fake fall' like she does with the other kids.

"Tyson, would you like to join Jo'an on time out?" Ms. Robinson yells.

Finally, the teacher notices him.

"No," Tyson yells back sweetly.

"Then I suggest you go play. Jo'an, you know better than to talk to anyone while in time out. Do you want another frowny face?"

Jo'an takes a deep breath before answering. She can feel herself getting _really _angry. It's not like _she _asked Tyson to come over and talk to her. It's not like she's even _enjoying_ his company. Far from it; but she's not allowed to have a 'Lane temper'. No good ever comes of them.

"Jo'an? I'm talking to you."

"I hear you," Jo'an breathes through clenched teeth, knowing the teacher won't hear her.

"Well?"

"No, I don't want another frowny face," Jo'an calls back.

"Good girl. If I see that you're _really _making an effort to think about what you've done, I'll let you off of time out five minutes before recess ends," she calls.

Jo'an rolls her eyes once her teacher turns her back to her and takes a few more deep breaths. Aunt Chloe's always telling her to do that when she gets upset; but it's not working this time.

At the thought of her aunt, she begins to listen for Chloe's voice. Her daddy didn't say she couldn't listen for _her_.

She finds her almost immediately and frowns. She seems to be arguing with someone. A few seconds later Jo'an realizes it's Jimmy.

"_Jeez Jimmy, how many of these did you take?"_

"_Don't! I'm not crazy. I know…I saw it with my own eyes."_

"_Saw what?"_

"_First Clark, then"-_

"_Jimmy"-_

"_Let me guess, there's nothing going on between the two of you."_

"_There isn't."_

"_So why was he here? And why were you talking so low that I couldn't hear?"_

"_My friend died yesterday. He was just offering his condolences."_

"_For two hours?"_

There's a knock on the door. It startles Jo'an just a little, but it doesn't break her concentration.

"_He's back for more huh? No, just stay there, I got it."_

Jo'an hears the door being unlocked and the door swing open.

"_You're friend died huh?"_

"_Davis?" her aunt gasps._

"_It didn't work," Davis says._

The sound of his voice sends a shiver up her spine and she begins to panic.

_What should I do?_ Jo'an thinks to herself.

She's never done that before; paused before going to help her aunt or mother, or anyone else that needed help; but she's afraid of Davis. Really afraid.

An Emergency. This is an emergency. She pulls out her phone, dials the number one, then talk, just like her Uncle showed her.

"You're not supposed to have a phone!" Tyson exclaims.

Crap! She didn't even notice he was back.

"I'm telling," he says before running off in the teacher's direction.

Jo'an begins to panic a little when the phone just keeps ringing. Why isn't her daddy answering his phone? She hangs up just as Tyler reaches Ms. Robinson and dials the number three, then talk. Her uncle picks up on the first ring.

"Are you hurt?" is the first thing he says; and Jo'an can hear the 'worry' in his voice.

"No, Davis is at Aunt Chloe's house and Daddy's not answering his phone," She rushes. Ms. Robinson is quickly making her way towards her.

"Joey, Davis is dead."

"But I _heard _him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Uncle Ollie, please hurry. Aunt Chloe"-

"I'm on my way," Oliver interrupts before hanging up.

"Jo'an, what are the rules about cell phones?"

Jo'an glares at the teacher and the little boy standing beside her, she doesn't care about the stupid cell phone rules. She cares about her aunt and uncle with her worst nightmare; literally.

"Hand it over," Ms. Robinson commands; and for a brief moment Jo'an is tempted to ignore the teacher; but in the end she does what is asked of her.

"That's another frowny face for you young lady."

"I don't care," Jo'an mutters sourly.

"Oh? Does that mean you want another one?"

Jo'an doesn't answer.

"That's what I thought," the teacher says satisfactorily while glancing down at her watch and yelling for the class to line up because recess is over.

When Jo'an gets in line, Tyson gets in behind her. She moves to the back; putting as much distance between her and the boy as possible. Nobody likes being the caboose, but Jo'an dislikes being near Tyson even more.

Jo'an quickly discovers it was a bad idea to move to the back when Tyson immediately follows and gets behind her again. And because Ms. Robinson mostly stays near the front of the line, there's a very small chance she'll see anything he does to Jo'an.

"You got another frowny face," Tyson snickers.

Jo'an ignores him and tries to concentrate on listening to her family again; but she can't. When Jo'an doesn't respond to Tyson, he pokes her in the back. She glares back at him, and he looks behind himself as if to say 'I didn't do it'. As soon as Jo'an faces the front again, Tyson pokes her in the back; a little harder this time.

"Stop it," She says loudly.

"Jo'an!" the teacher exclaims a bit exasperatedly. "No talking in the line."

Before the teacher can fully turn around, Tyson yanks on her ponytail.

"Stop it!" she hisses.

"_Another _frowny face Jo'an," The teacher sighs. Jo'an scowls back at the woman. It figures she'd see her talking, but not see Tyson pull her hair.

Jo'an grits her teeth when she hears the boy laughing behind her.

"Hey Jo'an," he whispers. "What do ya think"-

"Tyson! Frowny face," Ms. Robinson calls.

Finally! Jo'an turns around, giving him one of her brightest smiles. He only has three compared to her ten, but the scowl on his face makes her feel better.

Tyson pokes her really hard on the shoulder blade as soon as she turns back around. It actually hurt, and she nearly backhands him out of reflexes; but years of being taught not to hurt people keeps her hands to her sides; albeit in tight little fists.

Getting no responses from the pokes, Tyson steps on the back of Jo'an's shoe, causing her to trip a little.

"Damn it Tyson, just leave me the hell alone or I'm gonna kick your ass! I mean it!" And she does. One can only take so much.

"Jo'an! To the principal's office now!"

"But Tyson stepped on my shoe, on purpose!"

"Nuh-uh, it was an accident!"

"So what about when you pulled my hair? Was that an accident? Or when you kept poking me in the back, or"-

"Enough! Both of you go to the principal's office."

"But," Tyson tries; but he doesn't get to finish.

"Now!" Ms. Robinson yells.

As soon as the teacher turns her back, Tyson shoves Jo'an a little.

"Why'd you tell on me?"

Jo'an can't believe her ears. He told on her _first_.

Tyson shoves Jo'an again once the class is out of sight, and this time she falls.

"Now I'm gonna get in trouble," he practically pouts.

"So," Jo'an replies before standing up and holding onto her arm. It hurts.

"Does the baby Jo'an's arm hurt?" Tyson mocks in a baby voice.

"No," Jo'an rebuttals stubbornly before letting go of her arm and continuing to walk on.

"Good," Tyson says before shoving her yet _again_.

It's going to be a long walk to the principal's office.

~~(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **I know, another new character. Sorry; but I hope you don't mind, and you definitely don't have to like him, 'cause he surely annoyed the crap out of me, and I found myself wishing Jo'an would just kick his ass like she threatened to do.

Next post will be Friday, July 30th.


	24. Chapter 24

**Wizziewoo123, immery, and Joliehaitian79: **Thank you!

**JUJUchick16: **Lol. It's so funny how overprotective you guys are of Jo'an. It makes me happy that you all like her so much. Thanks!

**Wtchcool: **You're absolutely right. This _is _Smallville after all;) Oh, and I think I might have Jo'an kick his ass later. Haven't decided for sure yet because even if I want her to do it, that doesn't mean it's something _she_ would do.

**Jeremy Shane: **Yeah, boys can be a little rough, but that's okay. Jo'an's not _helpless_; just very obedient at times. Well; when it concerns the big rules I guess. Thank you!

**IceQueen825: **Thank you! I think everyone pretty much agrees; Tyson is the biggest jerk on the planet. And I'm glad you took no offense; thank you for answering.

**Alice Blu: **Thank you, and nah, Jo'an isn't much of a tattle teller, They'll have to fish it outta her.

**Lilbit4: **lol. Your grammar mistakes didn't stop me from understanding what you meant. I want Jo'an to kick Tyson's ass too.

**Katlynne: **Yeah, she has superspeed; but she's afraid of Davis. She wouldn't have been much help to her aunt. Thank you!

**Eternal density: **uh…Not exactly sure how you meant that, so I'm just gonna say thank you for reviewing and I hope you're enjoying the story;)

**Iluvaqt: **Thank you! And you're dead on with Tyson.;)

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Don't worry. Even I wanted to punch Tyson in the face, or make Jo'an do it a lot of times. Thanks!

**Cloisfinally123: **Oh, the school thing, mainly because of Clark's decision to keep his daughter and because before Lois knew Jo'an was from the future, she mentioned the kid having to go to school because she couldn't tote her around all day. I think that was chapter 13, not sure; anyway, so she had to go to school; and even though Lois knows the truth now, they can't just pull her out because Ms. Robinson is too damn nosey. Hope I explained it right, and thank you for reviewing!

**LunrRain: **Tyson lives in Smallville, meteor capital of the world ;) And if that sounded too smartassy I swear I didn't mean it that way. Honest. Thank you for your review!

**Cathy03: **I know sorry, but I figured they wouldn't really have the time because of the 3 hour ride home, and having to wake up so early in the morning for school and work. Maybe tonight;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Her mommy's gonna kill her when she gets home. This is the only thought racing around Jo'an's head as she waits quietly outside the principal's office. She's so nervous she can't even concentrate hard enough to eaves drop on the phone calls currently being made to her parents. Both of them.

She glances over at Tyson real quick. He's sitting next to her; but he hasn't bothered her since they got there. In fact, he hasn't said a word at all; and if she wasn't so mad at him right now, she'd feel sorry for him. He was right. He _is_ gonna get in a lot of trouble because Principal Murphy's _his_ mommy.

Jo'an jumps a little when the first bell rings. Schools over already? You'd think the time would just drag on with her having to sit still and such, but as Jo'an isn't particularly looking forward to going home, the time just flew by at least five times as fast as it normally goes.

Not even two minutes after the last bell rang, Ms. Robinson enters 'the waiting room'. She's only here so that she can tattle on her personally when her parents get here Jo'an realizes, and it takes the little girl a lot of effort not to scowl at the woman. She doesn't like her at all. She'd even go as far as to say she likes Lana better.

"Jo'an," the principal comes out and gives the little girl a small smile; but it doesn't make her feel any better. She's a nice lady and all, but she's still the principal.

"Your uncle's picking you up from school today; but it's very important that you give this note to your parents okay?" she instructs while pinning a note onto the front of the child's shirt so that she doesn't 'forget' it.

"Tyson!" Principal Murphy barks; and it makes Jo'an jump because she'd just been smiling before. "Come in here with me, now!"

"Her uncle again?" Ms. Robinson mumbles to herself once the principal shuts her door. "Is one of her parents ever going to come for this child?"

Jo'an, however, couldn't be happier and she lets out a breath of air with an audible 'whoosh'. Maybe she can talk her Uncle Ollie into talking her mother into going easy on her; or, making her really mad at him so that she can forget about what she's done.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for"-

"Uncle Victor?" Jo'an says before bending her head slightly so that she can peak around the teacher's back. She sighs when she sees it's really him. He's not going to help her get out of trouble. He never does. He's the _only _uncle who doesn't in fact.

Victor Stone almost lets out a low whistle. If the child had been in a room with a million other kids, he would've still picked her out as Kent's. Impulse wasn't exaggerating. She's practically his clone; or a "girl Clark" as the younger man described her.

"Your parents are still in Metropolis," he lies because of the woman in the room with them; Well halfway anyway. Lane _is _still in Metropolis. Kent is probably in Nevada by now.

"And your Aunt is in the hospital," Victor continues aloud.

"And Uncle Ollie?" Jo'an inquires.

"Drove her there himself."

Jo'an smiles out of relief and walks over to give him a hug. Awkwardly, he wraps his arms around her, very aware of the way the teacher is watching the interaction between the two of them.

"That's a cub hug," Jo'an teases.

"What?" he frowns down at her; and in return, she smiles up at him.

"That's a cub hug, I want a _bear _hug."

He squeezes her a little tighter.

She fakes a yawn.

He squeezes her a little _more _tighter.

She gives him a look that makes him feel like she's questioning his manliness.

_Fine._

He lifts the girl up off her feet, giving her a 'bear' hug. She squeezes back as hard as she can. She's only allowed to do this with her Uncle Victor and Aunt Kara. Oh, and her Uncle Dee, but she never has because he probably wouldn't want to. He doesn't play with her that much. He doesn't even smile that much.

"Okay, okaaaay! Uncle!" Jo'an gasps with a slight giggle.

"Uncle what?"

"Uncle Victor!" she laughs.

"That's right," Victor says before setting her down. Then he frowns to himself as she tries to catch her breath. Where the hell did that come from? He just met the kid and already felt _something _toward her. Impulse had warned him about that too; but Impulse happens to be a bit…well _impulsive _at times. It makes perfect sense for him to bond with a complete stranger just because discovered that he knows her in the future.

"Eh hem."

Jo'an and Victor give Ms. Robinson their full attention. It's obviously what she wants as that cough was undeniably phony.

"Mr…."

"Victor. Victor Stone," he supplies.

"Mr. Stone, I'm Ms. Robinson. Jo'an's teacher"-

"Uncle Victor," Jo'an interrupts rudely. She doesn't too much care because school's over; which means she can't get any more frowny faces. "Are we going to your house?"

"No, we're going to your house. Hopefully Uncle Bart and Uncle A.C. haven't completely destroyed it yet," he answers, assuming Jo'an calls all members of the justice league 'uncle' and 'aunt', instead of chastising the little girl for interrupting the teacher. He's already decided he doesn't like the woman. She just doesn't sit right with him.

"Uh, Uncle Victor. I'm not supposed to call A.C. 'uncle' anymore."

"Why not?" Victor frowns.

"'Cause Mommy said I can't call all of her exes 'uncle' 'cause it's weird. Just you and Uncle Ollie. Do you think we can go by the hospital and see Aunt Chloe first?"

Both adults just stare at the girl. She'd just said something Victor wishes he never had to hear. And she just said something to further convince her teacher of how _unusual _the child's home life is.

Not only does she live with her mother, father, and his girlfriend; but apparently the little girl has a close relationship (a very close relationship as she had just witnessed) with all of her mother's 'priors'; hell, maybe they were even 'during-ers'. Calling them 'uncle', and bear-hugging them, and didn't one of them buy her that expensive phone she keeps bringing to school? That can't be healthy.

Everyone jumps when the phone begins to ring, Jo'an instantly recognizes it as her own; in fact, it's her daddy's ringtone.

"Can I have my phone back Ms. Robinson?"

"No"-

"But it's my daddy."

"Well, tell your _daddy _you can have your phone back when either he or your mother comes to pick you up. Maybe one of them will be able to explain to me why you brought it to school again despite the conversation I had with the three of you just yesterday," she huffs before leaving the room.

"That was Daddy's fault" Jo'an quickly explains before her uncle can ask her. "He gave it back to me this morning."

Victor shakes his head. Lane's gonna kill him. He's never met the woman personally; but he knows enough about her to be certain of that.

"You never said if we can go visit aunt Chloe or not," Jo'an states once they start walking out of the office.

"Not yet. Your dad wants me to take you home first."

Jo'an stops walking and waits for Victor to notice. It takes him two and a half steps.

"Is Aunt Chloe dying?" she asks seriously once he turns around to face her.

"No," he answers quickly. "She's gonna be just fine. We just can't go because the doctors said she can't have visitors yet."

"Are you lying to me?" she crosses her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes at him. It's never good when the doctors say people can't have visitors yet…right?

"Listen for yourself," Victor shrugs.

She does.

"I can't hear anything," she says after awhile.

"That's because she's asleep," Victor points out before grabbing the child's hand. Since she's Kent's kid, it wouldn't surprise him if she decided to run off and check for herself. And she can definitely outrun him; but luckily for him she isn't stronger than him…yet.

"So the principal's office," he says. It's high time to change the subject. "I probably shouldn't be surprised; but the second day?"

Jo'an shrugs. They've reached the car and she gets into the backseat. She's not very shocked to see a baby booster; but it irks her all the same.

"So?" Victor prompts.

Jo'an shrugs again. "I just don't like Cornfield Elementary," she answers deciding the nickname her mom gave the school suits it just fine; way better than 'Smallville Elementary' does.

"Why not?" He says while successfully holding back a laugh.

"I just like my other school better," she shrugs. "The one closer to my mommy's job."

"I see," Victor says seriously.

He doesn't say much else on the way to the farm. He doesn't have to. The little girl talks enough for the both of them.

_It must be a Lane thing, _he thinks to himself as he pulls onto the Kent property.

When they walk into the house, the both of them flinch a little as Bart suddenly appears before them, then disappears again after catching and throwing a football. Apparently, he's playing catch…with himself.

"I wanna play!" Jo'an says excitedly.

"Play what?" Bart asks, appearing right in front of her.

"Two hand touch," Jo'an says confidently.

"Two hand touch it is. Know the rules?"

"Just toss the ball up," she rolls her eyes.

He flashes half a grin her way. "Alright then Lane Junior. Let's see whatcha got."

Victor barely makes it to the living room before…

"No way! I crossed the line before you tagged me!"

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did times infinity!"

"Oh _grow_ up!"

"Says the kid who has to cheat to win!"

"I didn't cheat! I got you fair and square!"

"There's no fairness or squareness about this!"

"Uncle Victor!"

"Victor!"

The two calls are nearly simultaneous and they make Victor groan. He really hates being the only adult in the house. The only _responsible _adult anyway.

"Guys, I can't exactly call a play when I can't actually _see_ you two play," Victor explains.

"Really Uncle Victor? You couldn't see Bobo? But he was moving _so _slow."

"Hey!"-

"Bobo?" A.C. laughs while seemingly coming out of nowhere. The two were so engrossed in their argument, they wouldn't have noticed a meteor shower if one hit…again.

"Bobo?" Victor echoes to himself.

"Hi A.C," Jo'an says distractedly. She really wants to settle her problem with Bobo first. Then she'll give him a proper greeting.

"A.C.? Just A.C.?" he inquires a little jealously. He's the only one the child has addressed by his name. Victor has 'uncle' and even though he'd rather die than be called Bobo; it was still _something _special.

"What else do you want me to call you?" Jo'an frowns back.

"I'd settle for 'Uncle A.C.'"

Jo'an rolls her eyes. On some level, she does realize her uncles don't know all the things they used to know, but at the same time, she hates repeating herself.

"I'm not supposed to call all of Mommy's exes 'uncle'. Just Uncle Ollie and Uncle Vic"-

Victor hurries and clamps a hand over the child's mouth; but it's really too late. The guys heard enough to easily finish that sentence.

A.C.'s jaw drops.

"Oooooooo! I'm telliiiiiiiiiiing," Bart says. He isn't sure who he's gonna tell, but he's definitely telling.  
"That's not fair!" A.C. exclaims. "Why can't you call Victor 'Victor' and call me 'Uncle A.C.'"

Victor shakes his head. He's glad the guys aren't making a huge deal out of this; but at the same time, _seriously? _A.C. wants to know why _he_ couldn't be the 'uncle'?

Victor, A.C. and Jo'an catch a soda as Bart tosses them their way. No one besides Jo'an actually saw him go to the kitchen to get them, but it's reflex to catch things that nearly crash into their faces.

"Well?" A.C. questions.

Jo'an opens her soda and takes a sip before answering. She didn't realize her uncle _really_ wanted an answer to his question.

"Because Mommy dated Uncle Victor longer than she dated you," she says simply.

"Burn!" Bart exclaims, dragging the word out a little.

"How long?"

"A day."

"Double buuuuurn!"

"Hey _Bobo_! It's not like the kid calls you uncle either. Does that mean your mommy dated Bart too?" A.C. turns and faces the little girl.

"No," she shakes her head vehemently. "Bobo's mine."

Soda flies everywhere, and _from _everywhere, noses, mouths, just everywhere. There's coughing, and laughing, and spluttering, and laughing, and choking, and laughing, and tears, lots of tears, and laughing, and chest pounding; for at least five minutes.

"What do you mean by that?" Bart's the first to speak, probably because he skipped all the laughing and went straight through the coughing, tears, and chest pounding.

"You're just mine Bobo," Jo'an gives a shrug, and frowns as the men start laughing again.

"No I'm not," he declares, his face getting a little red.

"Yes you are."

"_No_, I'm not"

"_Yes_, you are. Mommy said so."

"What?"

"She said I can have you."

"She said what?" Bart nearly squeaks. Jeez the kid made it seem like he was a free candy bar at the Willy Wonka Factory.

"She did. She said 'Go ahead Junior, he's all yours' when I told her I'm gonna marry you one day."

Naturally, this started another bout of laughter, and she raises an eyebrow at her uncles as the roll around on the floor, clutching their stomachs.

"That's it!" Bart yells "We're gonna have that race now Kent Junior and if I win, you have to stop calling me Bobo."

"Where to Bobo?" Jo'an accepts his challenge, challenging him right back.

"Miami."

"Mexico, that way if I win, you have to buy me five burritos at Joe's Place," Jo'an negotiates.

"I love Joe's Place!" Bart says excitedly; easily getting distracted by food. "But five burritos versus never calling me Bobo again? That doesn't sound fair. We'll make it ten."

"I can't eat ten."

"You're not gonna win, so it doesn't even matter."

"Yes I am."

"No you aren't"

"Watch me."

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **No, I'm not a pedophile or anything, but little children often have crushes on adults or teens. In fact, my little cousin who's about 12 years younger than me has asked me to marry him several times….with a straight face. It's cute and funny to me; and it's not like I'm gonna pair them up in the future. She isn't his soul mate, and he hasn't done anything like 'imprinted' on her or anything. And I mean absolutely no offence to the twilight series 'cause I loved it; even the imprinting thing was fine with me.

Next post will be Tuesday August 3rd.


	25. Chapter 25

**Wizziewoo123: **Thank you! I'll see what I can do about that;)

**Alice Blu: **Thank you! I wasn't thinking about adding Kara, but I don't know; if I find a spot for her….

Lol. I was going to have Clark do it, but Uncle Ollie and Clark might be a lot more fun. Thanks again!

**JUJUchick16: **Yeah, I thought that part was pretty funny too. And I also don't like Ms. Robinson even though I named her after my favorite elementary teacher; who was absolutely _nothing_ like _this_ Ms. Robinson obviously since I said she was my favorite. Lol. Thank you!

**C im am a dragon: **Thanks!

**TwistedSky: **Of course they'll be more Chlollie;) Thank you!

**Katlynne: **Wow! Thanks for such a lengthy review! I love 'em; and I don't know why they sent Kara away either. I loved her to death.

**Cathy: **Thank you! I do love the JL boys when they're with her. A lot.;)

**Cloisfinally123: **Lol, I thought it would be funny if the reason she couldn't call one of her uncles 'uncle' was because Lois practically dated them all. And yeah, Victor is kinda serious; which is probably why they only lasted a couple days;) Oh, and the answer is 'yes'. Lois dated him after Clark left. Thank you!

**Sra. Queen: **Thank you! So I'm not the only girl who's cousin had a crush on her. Lol. It really is weird, but definitely funny.

**Jeremy Shane: **Lol. Kids these days indeed.

**Wtchcool: **Thanks, everyone seems to like the crush on Bobo thing!

No, Lois didn't actually date Victor on the show. I don't even think they've met.

**: **Thank you!

**Joy Blue: **Well I'm glad you found it, and like it; and I hope you like the next chapter as well.

**Lilbit4: **I know, me too!

**Brainchild: **Thank you! It was sorta my way of letting the readers know what kind of 'uncle' he is, without actually saying it.

**Samse: **Thank you! You know what's funny? Sometimes I accidently call Tyson 'Tyler' too. I might've even done it in the story. That was the name I was going for originally; but I changed it. I have absolutely no idea why though. Lol.

**Batgirl2992: **Thanks! Glad this chapter tickled ya;)

**Annie : **Wow, I really hate getting these types of reviews, not because they bother me, but because I don't want to offend the sender. I don't want you to think I'm mad, or being an asshole or whatever; because right now, I'm actually in a pretty good mood. I don't know why, as I'm sleep deprived and I just lost my wallet; but hey, I'm usually a pretty happy person anyway. Your review even made me smile a bit; the 'Mark and Mandy' line especially. So please don't think I'm being rude; I'm just trying to explain myself to you.

Clark didn't choose Lana over Jo'an. I'd _never _make him do that. He couldn't choose at all; He wanted both. And I did it that way because of season 5's "Reckoning". Predictably, Clark was blaming himself for the death of his father because he went back and saved Lana. And Martha asked if he would've been able to choose between the two of them if he had a chance. No answer; instead of a definite yes. And I thought 'He wouldn't be able to choose between his dad and his girlfriend?...interesting.' Mind you, I do realize _that_ situation was dealing with death; but still…If he actually made the choice; Jo'an or Lana; the one he didn't choose would have to be gone forever; which is the equivalent of death. To me anyway. Clark's known Jo'an for three days; He's loved Lana for years.

I didn't understand your next point though. The 'The Clark who's longed to not be alone in the universe is going to choose Lana?' line. If he was with Lana, wouldn't that mean he's _not_ alone?

As far as the 'Mark and Mandy' line; though it did make me laugh a little, I kinda don't understand your problem. This is 'fanfiction'. Which means my characters are gonna be a little out of character as this is a story stemming from my _imagination; _and is not a book report on a television show I like. I've read plenty of fanfics where Lois or Clark or whoever is so out of character, I actually forgot I was reading a Smallville fic. But they didn't bother me. I even liked a few of 'em. The way I figure it, people write fanfiction because they want a certain something to happen on the show; and it ain't happenin'. Now that I think about it, that's probably why there are so many stories with Lana bashing in 'em.

You're wrong. I don't think Oliver's perfect. On some level, I'm flattered _you_ think that _I_ think highly of him, when in reality, I don't even _like_ Oliver. I think it's a little hard to tell because of the way I write him.

And no, I don't think I made Clark into a tool. To _me_, he is a jerk. You have to remember, I'm a Chlarker. And though I'm not gunning for a Chlark relationship the way I used to, I still like the friendship; and I think Clark treated her bad. I'm not gonna go into full detail unless you want me to. This reply is already running a little long.

As for my OC, I didn't say I modeled her after Rini on Sailor Moon. I said I modeled her _relationship with Lois _after the relationship between Rini and Serena. I modeled Jo'an after my goddaughter, Alexis. I didn't really have a choice as she's the only six year old girl I know. And yeah, she can be a little obnoxious at times but I love her for it. She cracks me up all the time with the things that come out of her mouth. Just yesterday she was wrestling with my stepbrother, he's six years old too, and she made him cry. Instead of trying to make him feel better, she yelled "Stop crying! I didn't even hit you that hard! Be a man! Your daddy said 'be a man'! Why are you crying?" Which is why I thought it would be ok for Jo'an to tell Bart to 'grow up'. They're almost the same message.

Don't worry, I'm _not _worried. If you feel the need to dissect each chapter, feel free to. But I've gotta say, it won't do much good because I'm going on the 25th chapter and I can't really change much now. I think this story's pretty much set in its ways. And I've also gotta say, I don't understand how you can dislike a story so much; but read 24 chapters of it. And as a small request, I'd like to ask you not to insult the people who review my story. If you didn't mean to, I'd just like to point out that referring to as a cesspool because I got so many reviews is insulting to the people who like this story and review. If you feel like you can't keep from doing it, you can send me as many private messages as you want, I won't block you. Promise;)

**Mrs. Quincy25: **Wow, Thanks! I think you just said the complete opposite of what the previous reviewer wrote. So funny! Glad you're enjoying yourself and this story.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Wow, you're right. Clark and Lois haven't been in the last two chapters; but don't worry, they're in this one. Thank you!

**JT Jones: **Lol. Forget six, I have a crush on Bart now!

**Fitz Darcy: **that's funny. She's sounds like a total cutie pie…or is it sweetie pie? Forgive me, I'm really bad with my terms of endearments. Probably why I call my godchildren weirdoes and such. Honey and darling just don't suit the little monsters.

**Iluvaqt: **Thank you! You're absolutely right. When I volunteered at an elementary school once (a first grade class) one of the little girls told me she wanted to marry me. A couple of the other girls heard her and told her she was gay. (yeah I know, first graders knowing exactly how to use the word gay. Scary) But I liked the kid, she was a real sweetheart. So I told her it was sweet that she wanted to be with me forever, cause I knew that's how she meant it. Then the other girls were like 'aww, that's not fair'. Kids are so special.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark looks down at his best friend. He's not actually supposed to be here in the room with her while she's resting; but they can't exactly stop him either.

He sighs. The fact that she's just asleep and not in a coma right now, does _not_ make him feel better. The fact that she's just got a sprained ankle and a small bruise on her cheek instead of being dead, does _not_ make him feel better either.

She shouldn't be hurt at all. He should have been there for her; and the fact that he thought Davis was dead and could no longer pose a threat to her, or anyone else for that matter, just isn't a good enough excuse to him.

He shudders slightly at the thought of what would've happened if he'd gotten to The Talon even a second later than he had; and the fact that he almost didn't go at all, scares him even more. He'd been postponing it all day; but he really needed to drop by and see how she was taking the EMT's death. When he got there however, there he was. A resurrected Davis bloom, and Chloe was on the floor, lying on top of Oliver. Immediately, he saw that Oliver was awake; and Chloe wasn't. He feels no guilt whatsoever for what he did next. Before Davis even realized Clark was there, and without even thinking about it first, Clark sped the beast over to the fortress and sent him straight to the phantom zone.

Clark turns quickly when he hears the door open.

"Whoa, easy Clark. It's me," Oliver says defensively while raising his hands in a surrendering gesture.

Thinking about Davis and his hurt friend has got Clark a little on edge. He takes a deep breath; unclenching the fists he hadn't realized were clenched; and makes a conscious effort to unflare the nostrils he hadn't realized were flared. It's just Oliver. Not someone trying to make another attempt on Chloe's life. Not someone like Davis Bloom. He'll never be able to hurt anyone again.

"You're not supposed to be in here," Clark says before turning back to stare at Chloe once again. Oliver ignores him; almost tempted to point out the fact that Clark isn't supposed to be in here either, but decides to give the guy a break.

"Uh, Lois is looking for you."

_Lois._

He'd forgotten about her.

"Does she know?" Clark asks while tipping his head slightly in Chloe's direction. Oliver makes a scoffing sound behind him instead of answering. He can't really blame him. It was a stupid question. If Lois knew Chloe was in the hospital, she'd be here. It doesn't matter that she's a three hour drive away. She'd find a way to be here.

Clark sighs deeply, takes one more look at Chloe, and heads off to the planet. Why does he always have to tell Lois the hard stuff?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Before Victor can think of all the different ways Daddy Kent is going to try and kill him for letting his little girl go off to Mexico with Bart, they're back.

_Thank god, _he thinks to himself and before he can lecture the two about disappearing, he's interrupted.

"Uncle Victor, A.C., I won!" Jo'an announces before handing her uncles three burritos each. That means she gets four but as she's the one who won the race. It's only fair for her to get the extra one.

"Aww _Bobo, _you let the kid win. How cute," A.C. teases while stuffing his face.

"I did _not _let her win," Bart sulks.

"So, she beat you?" Victor asks seriously. If Bart's faster than Clark, how can Jo'an possibly be faster than him?

"No, Lane Junior cheated."

Victor and A.C. turn their attention onto the little girl, expecting her to deny it. She just shrugs and says, "Bobo let me."

"I _let _you cheat?" Bart raises his eyebrows at the little girl and folds his arms over his chest.

Jo'an shrugs again. He'd given her a head start to begin with; and when she 'tripped' and hurt her leg, he gave her another one. It was just too big of a head start and she ended up crossing the border a little less than a millisecond before him. _That_ by definition, is 'letting her cheat' as Bart already knows she's invulnerable and doesn't trip or hurt her legs. At least, he should know that.

Just then their cells go off. All three of 'em. It's Dinah. She needs back up. Bart's out before anyone else can blink. Both A.C. and Victor rush toward the front door.

"Can I come too," Jo'an asks.

Victor and A.C, look at each other.

"I thought you were staying with the kid," they both say at the same time.

"No, I thought _you _were gonna stay here with the kid," they answer together.

"If you take me with you, nobody has to stay with the kid," Jo'an points out.

A.C. glances back at Jo'an. "She has a point. I say we bring her along."

"And that's _exactly_ why she's not allowed to call you 'uncle'," Victor scowls.

"What?"

"She's just a kid A.C."

"She's not a 'normal' kid, Victor. I bet she can help."

"I can," Jo'an nods her head up and down enthusiastically. "I can help a lot."

"No," Victor says to the child. "No," he repeats for the irresponsible adult before him.

"Then what are we gonna do? One of us has to stay here with her."

Victor thinks for a moment. "Coin toss?"

"No way, you always use your cybo calculating skills to cheat…..what about rock paper scissors."

Victor rolls his eyes. Sometimes it's hard for him to believe they're superheroes. But he plays rock paper scissors against A.C… and loses. He can't believe it. He's never lost anything to the fish stick and he doesn't like the feeling at all.

Instead of hanging around to gloat like he wants to, A.C. leaves immediately. He has a job to do, lives to save, etc.

Victor slowly turns around to face a pouting Jo'an.

"Are you going to cry?" he panics a little.

"Lanes don't cry", she mumbles.

"Right," He answers, somewhat relieved. Although, he can't say that he's surprised by her answer.

"I'm bored," Jo'an announces; still in a slightly grumpy mood.

"What do you want to do? Other than go on the mission with the team," he adds on just to let her know that it's a no-go.

Jo'an smiles a little. She'd just been thinking about asking him that; but her uncle's always been able to pick up on that type of stuff.

"Can we arm wrestle?" she asks instead.

"Arm wrestle?"

"Yep, and you can't _let_ me win."

"Alright Kent, let's see whatcha got." Victor rolls his eyes at himself almost immediately. Now he's calling the child by her last name too?

They kneel on opposite sides of the coffee table and put their elbows on it; but there's a slight problem. Jo'an's put up her left hand, Victor puts up his right.

"I'm left handed," Jo'an announces unnecessarily.

"I'm right handed," Victor counters

"But I'm a little girl." Jo'an rebuttals as if that means she automatically gets her way.

"You're a Kent," Victor says. He'd learned the child doesn't need head starts and handicaps from her race with Bart.

"Fine, rock paper scissors?"

Again?

"How about a coin toss?"

"Only if I get to call it first," Jo'an replies.

Victor frowns. He doesn't like that answer too much.

"Fine. Rock paper scissors it is," he concedes.

He loses. Again; but for some reason it's not as bad as losing to A.C. He puts his left arm up on the table. It's just as strong as his right; it just feels weird. And what feels even _weirder_ is the child's small, _very _small, hand in his. He can't believe he's going to arm wrestle a baby; but then the little girls squeezes his hand a little and begins to push backwards and he's quickly reminded of how different she is from all the other little kids.

He pushes back, attempting to set their arms straight again, and frowns. It's a lot harder than he expects it to be.

Jo'an grins before pushing harder, causing Victor to strain a little. He smiles back at her through gritted teeth. She's _actually _a challenge for him; and it's kinda…fun.

He takes several deep breaths and actually grunts as he pushes against her hand even harder. Gradually, he begins to gain a little leverage on her and her hand slowly starts tilting toward the left.

When Jo'an realizes she's losing, she does what she always does when she's about to lose; she uses both of her hands.

"That's definitely cheating Lane," Victor laughs, but for the life of him, he can't find it in himself to make her play fair.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Jo'an and Victor jump apart at the sound of Clark's voice. They'd been focusing on their game so hard, they hadn't notice he was home.

"My mom loves this table," Clark continues.

Victor lets out an audible sigh of relief. For a minute there he thought Clark was referring to the fact that he was arm wrestling with his small daughter.

"Jeez Smallville, just chill. It's not like they were gonna break it."

Clark ignores Lois and continues to glare at Victor. Breaking the table is exactly what they could've done. Victor should've known better. He's usually a bit more responsible.

But Victor's ignoring the 'Kent glare' because there goes Lane, in the flesh. And he's suddenly remembering something his niece said about them, the two of them. Him and Lane. And he's suddenly feeling a bit awkward. And he suddenly needs to get outta here. Now.

"See you later Jo'an," Victor calls while getting up and heading for the door.

"_Uncle Victor,_" the girl says with a hiss type whine. Surely he isn't going to leave her here to deal with her parents alone? But he just waves a little and keeps walking. She sighs deeply; and for the second time today she wishes her Uncle Ollie had picked her up from school instead.

"What a minute, who are you?" Lois asks while stepping in front of a determined-to-leave Victor and blocking his path.

"Lois," Clark calls over to her. "Let him pass."

"Uh-uh, you may be okay with letting complete strangers babysit the kid but"-

"Uncle Victor's not a stranger," Jo'an pipes up. She's not exactly thrilled with him right now, but he's still her uncle.

"Uncle Victor huh? And how exactly do we know 'Uncle' Victor?"

"Friend of the family," Victor answers while trying to step around her again, but she's quick and she's right in front of him again.

"So am I. I've been a 'friend of the family' for four years now and I've never seen you before."

"I don't come around much."

"I see."

Relieved, he takes a step to the left. But then she takes a step to her right.

"I've never heard of you before either."

Victor glares behind him. It's high time for Clark to run interference; but he's not there.

_Where the hell did he go? _Victor thinks with a slight panic.

"Four years," Lois says, grabbing Victor's attention. "And I never heard the name Victor spoken here. Not once. That's a long time. Dontcha think?"

"Black sheep of the family," he shrugs.

Lois quirks an eyebrow at him.

"No pun intended," he says flatly before successfully forcing his way past her and practically jogging to his car.

Lois frowns after him. For someone who's never met her before, he sure was a bundled knot of nerves.

_What the hell has Smallville been saying about me?_

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **I know, I know. You wanna get to the teachers, no, the _principal's _Note. Next chapter. Promise;)

Next post will be Saturday August 7th.


	26. Chapter 26

**LunrRain: **Thanks! But no need to be envious, I'm pretty sure You do pretty good yourself when you try. Good luck in school!;)

**Iluvaqt: **Thank you, it's a Clark thing, blaming himself for _everything_, I thought it was a must.

I will admit that though I wouldn't have put it in the story myself, the guys and Jo'an was a lot of fun to write; but since someone requested it…

**IceQueen825: **Lol. You guys always need another update 'like now'. But seriously, thank you for your compliments.

**Immery, wizziewoo123, Batgirl2992, Jeremy Shane, anonymous, karrtoonmonkey, and Framework4: **Thank you!

**Garces01: **Lol. Don't worry about it, impatience is a good thing. It kinda keeps you on your toes; all the wandering and waiting and worrying and…I can't think of anymore words right now that start with the letter 'W'; but you know what I mean. lol;)

**JUJUchick16: ** Thank you! It was funny to me that Clark didn't seem to be worried about Jo'an's arm, but the table…

**Sunset: **I'm glad you've taken to Jo'an, thank you. Oh, and Jo'an was the one who told everyone Lois dated Victor a day longer than A.C.

**Wtchcool: **Lol, Yeah, Lois usually does blame everything on Clark; but I think Lois meant over the past four years because Victor kept referring to himself as a friend of the family.

**Katlynne: **Glad no one took offence by that line. Thank you!

**wiiviewer: **Thank you, you have no idea how much I'm ready to end this story, but I really can't yet. Trust me, I would if I could; but the 'fillers' aren't so much as fillers as they are requests from other viewers. It's the only way I can add them without compromising the story. Sorry .

I really meant no harm by having Lois date Victor. It was mostly for laughs and I figured Lois's dating options are pretty limited in the future considering her 'gifted' daughter.

I thought about responding to reviews at the bottom of the chapter like you suggested, but decided against it because the last chapter would be freshest in the readers' minds as would their reviews, and I didn't want to add a chapter on top of that. It could get confusing, and don't worry about long responses on my end. They don't actually take away from my chapters. I always make them 1500 words or more. The last chapter was 1800 words .

Thank you for your review. I didn't really think of it as complaining, I know when a reviewer is just being ugly, and I didn't feel that from you. Glad you're still enjoying the story despite its many issues.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Oh my gosh! Three men and a baby, I used to love that movie as a kid. I didn't even think of that. Isn't there a sequel? "Three Men and a Little Lady" I think.

Noncoupleness? You said it; I understood it; that definitely makes it a word babe.;)

**Reeven: **Hi! Yeah I did miss you! How was your vacation?

**JustinBieberlove: **Wow Thanks. I have no idea. They just kinda come…

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Oliver Queen has been sitting by Chloe's side for hours now. Hours. As in with an 'S' at the end; as in plural; as in more than one. Clark has come and gone. Lois and Clark have come and gone. Bart, A.C, Victor; everyone has come…and gone. Everyone except him. He can't go. This is all his fault. He and Clark even sat around playing the blame game for a little while, until Lois called them both p-word names that meant they weren't manly and told 'Smallville' they had to get home to 'the kid'.

Oliver takes a deep breath. She hasn't awakened yet, and it's making him a little more nervous with each passing minute. Oh sure, she'll be fine. She's got what, a sprained ankle and a little bruise on her cheek. That's nothing compared to half the injuries she's sustained previously. She'll definitely be fine…physically.  
When his niece called him, he was seconds away from the Talon. Literally. He'd just left not even, well, seconds beforehand. He got there quickly, hoping the little girl was wrong, but knowing she wasn't. He could feel it.

He passed Jimmy on the stairs. Or rather, Jimmy passed _him_ on the stairs. He could've sworn he heard the young man murmur "Back? Well, you both can fight over her. I'm done;" Or something like that. He wasn't really paying attention, and it was probably better for Jimmy to be out of the way anyway.

He burst through the door yelling her name, prepared to protect her, not even thinking of the fact that he was Oliver; _just_ Oliver Queen and not the Green Arrow, only to find Davis sitting down on the couch with his head buried in his hands. Chloe was right in front of him, _talking _to him; as if the man, no, _monster _didn't go around killing human beings when he suddenly got the urge.

He rushed forward, yanking her around to face him before asking her what the hell she was doing. She tried to give an explanation, but he didn't let her. There was absolutely no reason for her to be _talking _to that…_thing. _

And that's when all hell broke loose. Chloe cried out; it was his own fault because he grabbed her too hard. Then Davis stood up; and his breathing got heavy real fast; _and_ his eyes turned red. Literally. He was changing right before their eyes, and when Davis drew his hand back to hit Oliver, he missed and got Chloe instead.

Oliver sighs and slowly takes Chloe's hand in his. That's what he told Clark at least; and it was mostly true. It just wasn't all the way true. What really happened was Chloe jumped in front of him; to protect _him_. It should've been the other way around. He's the green arrow. A hero. It should always be the other way around.

Slowly, Chloe opens her eyes.

"Hi," he says.

It takes her just a little while to recognize the man sitting beside her.

Oliver squeezes her fingers gently. She didn't respond to his 'hi' and he was trying to help her out of the disoriented stage she must be in when one usually first wakes up in the hospital.

"Jimmy?" She whispers.

_Of course she wants her husband right now. Not you, _Oliver chides himself. He doesn't blame her. They're not even all the way friends yet.

Oliver shakes his head and a tear leaks out of the corner of her eye. He looks down on the floor. That was his fault too. He shouldn't have come over unannounced this morning. He should've just talked to her on the phone. Why didn't he just talk to her on the phone?

_If you would've just talked to her on the phone, you wouldn't have been able to get to her apartment in time; and who knows what would've happened to Jimmy and Chloe, _he answers himself; and suddenly he feels better. So much so that he picks his head up and stares Chloe straight in the eyes.

"I'm here," he says simply.

She stares at him for a few seconds; long seconds, before squeezing his fingers back.

"Hi," she says.

~~{(O)(O)(O)}~~

"But Uncle Ollie's in there. Why can't I go see her too?"

"You can see Chloe tomorrow."

Lois walks in on the end of Clark and Jo'an's conversation about Chloe in the hospital, and is about to tell the kid that Chloe's fine; but she stops her response mid-thought when she sees the little girl. The child is sitting on the kitchen counter eating a snack and drinking a glass of milk.

Quickly, Lois walks over to the little girl, lifts her up, and sets her down on the floor.

Both Clark and Jo'an raise an eyebrow at her, and she finds herself annoyed by it.

"What? I don't like her on the counter. She doesn't seem to have a reverence for heights the way most kids, _people _do. That's all."

Clark can barely suppress his laughter over how overprotective Lois is.

Jo'an scowls up at her mother; it's not funny to her. Her mother is always treating her like a baby. She gives her father a look that clearly says, 'Please Daddy can we tell her that I can't get hurt.'

Clark just smiles at her and shakes his head 'no'.

She pouts, bottom lip extended as if to say 'please'

Another 'no' look from Clark and Lois scowls at the both of them. It's like they're having their own little nonverbal conversation and she's feeling a bit…left out.

"Fine," Jo'an stomps a little and turns to leave.

"Jo'an wait, don't you want to finish your snack?" Clark calls after her.

"No," she calls back.

"Really Smallville?"

"Jo'an, I really think you should finish your snack," He says while ignoring g Lois

"I don't want it, you can have it."

"Need any help?" Lois butts in.

Clark glares at her. He does not need help with his own daughter; but the glare's wasted on her. He doesn't scare Lois Lane.

"Jo'an, at least drink the milk."

"I don't want"-

"Oh for Christ sake, just get over here and eat the damn snack!" Lois exclaims. She was going to let Clark handle it, but obviously he's not handling it.

"Okay," Jo'an sighs and heads back toward the kitchen.

"Jeez Smallville, I bet the kid just runs all over you in the future too."

Lois stops and looks away, hoping that he didn't but knowing he heard what she just said. It's her first time actually admitting that they were, and could very well be, a family in the near future.

"No, Daddy's not there at our house in the future," Jo'an answers.

"Oh?" Lois turns and raises her eyebrows at Clark "You better be dead or I'm gonna kill you right now," she threatens lowly. It's the only reason she'll accept him not being there to help with the kid.

Jo'an watches her father, wondering how he will respond to the question; but he doesn't. He just stares at the table sadly.

"Clark?" Lois questions while placing a hand on his shoulder. She takes that back. In fact, she won't even be mad at him if he left her for Lana; just as long as he's not…

"Yeah, Lois. I'm dead."

Lois leaves her hand on his shoulder until he looks up. She swallows a few times when he looks her straight in the eyes; he's not lying. She can always tell when he's lying.

And to him he's not lying. He's been banished to another plane. He can never return to earth. Never. Isn't that the definition of death; to leave earth and to never be able to come back?

Lois looks over at Jo'an. "Junior?" she inquires.

Jo'an focuses her attention onto the counter before nodding her head and answering. "Yes, my daddy's dead," She says quietly. It's sort of not a lie to her either. She never saw her daddy when she was at home; and she never was going to see him because there was no way for him to come back to earth. He may as well have been dead.

A few incoherent sounds bubble out of Lois's mouth before she asks what she really wants. "H-How?"

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that I'm here now," Clark smiles warmly at her; but she doesn't want assurance; she wants answers damn it.

"Junior?" Lois turns to the little girl for answers; but she quickly realizes she can't get them from her. The kid's doing it again; wringing her fingers and looking as if they were going to try and split her up King Solomon style. That's when Lois notices an envelope pinned onto the child's shirt.

"What's this?" she asks while reaching for it. She notices that her hand is a bit shaky; and she tries to forget that she's trying to distract herself.

"A note," Jo'an answers.

"From who? Your teacher again?"

"No. The principle"

"What the hell did you do this time?"

Lois opens the letter and reads it quickly. Clark comes to stand behind her so that he can read it over her shoulder; but she's done. "She's suspended," she announces while handing the note to him.

"Suspended? For how lo-two days?"

Clark reads down a little further, "she was in an altercation with another student?"

"Did you win?" Lois asks Jo'an.

"Lois," Clark hisses

"What? By altercation, they mean she got into a fight. Did you win?" she asks the little girl again.

"Lois!"

"What? I just want to see who she's more like when it comes to this type of situation. You or me."

"So if she lost?"

"She's more like you obviously."

They smile at each other and it's just what Lois needs. She can do this, the banter, the teasing; she can definitely do this. The other stuff. The future … the Clark that's…she couldn't do that. She won't do that. She'll just have to keep a better eye on him. She'll just have to keep him safe.

"We didn't fight. I didn't even _touch _him," Jo'an finally speaks up now that she sees there's a good chance she won't get into trouble.

"_Him_?" Both Clark and Lois exchange a look.

"Yeah, Ms. Robinson sent me to the office because I said bad words to him. That's all. I didn't hit him."

"What do you mean that's all? What bad words? 'Grown up words?" Clark asks.

"Hey Junior," Lois says, purposely cutting Smallville off before he gets worked up about the 'bad words'. Lord knows he's been annoyingly on her case to watch what she says around the little one. "What's his name?"

"Tyson," Jo'an says while making face.

Lois just smiles at Clark, then back at the little girl. She knows exactly what's going.

"You know what Junior?"

"What?"

"When I was about your age, I used to get suspended because of this boy named David; just like you and Tyler"-

"Tyson."

"That's what I said; and all I'm trying to say is that if he calls you names, or steals your toys or tries to cut your hair, he's just doing it because he likes you."

"He _likes _me?" Jo'an shakes her heard. That's just not true. Tyson hates her guts, of that Jo'an is sure.

"Yep, but if he does try to cut your hair you have my permission to kick his ass."

"Lois!" Clark reprimands.

"Fine, you have my permission to kick his _butt_."

"No, Jo'an you should tell the teacher," Clark instructs seriously.

"Smallville, that doesn't work, I would know, I used to…" Lois suddenly scrunches her forehead in thought. "Hey Junior, has Taylor ever hit you?"

"Tyson," Jo'an corrects as a way to avoid answering the question.

"Has he ever hit you?" Lois asks a little, well, a _lot_ more seriously.

Jo'an shakes her head quickly and unconsciously hides her arm behind her back.

"Are you sure?"

Jo'an nods her head.

"That's good. One time, I hit David a little too hard and he wet his pants. That was suspension number seven, or was it number eleven?... No, number eleven was when I put glue in his shoes during naptime," she reminisces.

"Wait a minute Lois," Clark interrupts. "_You_ liked David, so _you _tortured_ him_."

"What? Did you honestly think he picked on _me_?"

Clark chuckles a little, he feels for the boy, but he really couldn't imagine Lois letting anyone pick on her. Not even as a child.

"So you liked him?" he asks again.

"Hey, his shoes lit up. He was perfect."

"I had light up shoes in the first grade too. Do you think"-

"Not a chance."

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Wednesday, August 11th.


	27. Chapter 27

**Immery, wizziewoo123, iluvaqt, AllieJGK, Madlenita, batgirl2992, cat, Garces01, IceQueen825 and cathy: **Thank you!

**JUJUChick 16: **Lol. Thanks. I just can't rush the Clois relationship. Slowly but surely is my motto.;) I think it works better for them.

**Cloismycel: **Lol. I don't think anyone would actually object to me posting a little more frequently; except me of course.;)

**Lilbit4: **Your favorite dysfunctional family? Lol. They are _definitely _dysfunctional.

**Clois16: **Lol. Thank you; having a million questions is not a bad thing. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.

**Jeremy Shane: **HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I turned 23 this year too, so I guess we're both old.

**Katlynne: ** Lol. I know, It seemed kinda Loisy

**Wtchcool: **Lol. Little Lois and Little Clark. That would be such a cute story.

**LunrRain: **Lol. Don't worry. Most of the time I'm up that late/early too. Like right now it's 3:56am.

**Samse: **Thanks, yeah you can tell I'm not a fall in love after two days writer. Not that there's anything wrong with that at all.

**Wiiviewer: ** Wow, Thanks. I'm flattered. I hope you like this chapter as well. Hopefully;)

**Laughter's tears: **Lol. I think so too. It could be a cute story of its own.

**Joliehaitian79: **thanks! I just couldn't see Lois being picked on as a kid; but I could see her irritating the crap out of a boy she liked.

**CoLdBlAdE: **Thanks! Told ya, guilt trip and Clark go hand in hand. Lol. How's your story coming along?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Scoot over," Lois mumbles.

It doesn't do her any good. It never does her any good. In fact, she doesn't even know why she asks anymore. She should be used to this by now.

But the hair…and the legs…and the arms…and the hair; it's just too hot. She's tempted to just push the child over a little and call it a night, but she can't. The last time she did that, she pushed the little girl out of the bed. And even though the kid slept through the fall, Lois still freaked out thoroughly, jumping out of bed and waking the child up to apologize a million times.

Lois sighs before opening her eyes, (Boy, does she _not _wanna open her eyes.) and gasps when she catches sight of someone else in the room. Soon afterward, shock merges into anger as there's really only one person it could be.

"Jeez Smallville, will you _stop_ that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she yells while sitting up straight and placing a hand over her chest as if to make her point. This isn't the first time she's awakened to find him in the room with them; but she wishes the last time had been the 'last time'. Or this time can be the last time. It doesn't matter, just as long as it stops happening

"Sorry Lois, I was just"-

"I know," she sighs. "You were just watching her sleep…again," she adds.

It irked her when he first did it; even creeped her out a little, but now she can't really blame him for doing it. Not now that she knows he…he's not around Jo'an in the near future. It doesn't surprise her in the least that he wants to spend as much time with her as possible; even if the child happens to be unconscious for a good portion of their daddy-daughter bonding time.

_He should actually hold her,_ Lois thinks to herself. It beats just looking. And then an idea comes to her.

"You can take her with you if you want," she offers. Not only is she thinking of him, but of herself too. With the kid in Smallville's bed, she's sure to sleep good for the first time in days that feel more like months. And she's sure the nightly 'who the hell is there' scares are bound to cease.

"Really?" Clark asks hopefully, and Lois has to ignore his kid-who-has-just-been-promised-anything-he-wants-out-of-the-candy-store tone. It makes her feel bad; like it's all her fault he doesn't get to spend as much time with his daughter as he wants.

Instead of answering him verbally, she gets out of bed, lifts the child up, puts her into Clark's arms, and gets back into bed. She doesn't even care that he probably got an eyeful of her bare thighs. He should be used to it by now because she almost always goes to bed while wearing one of his shirts and little else.

Not even a minute after she closes her eyes, there's a light tap on her shoulder.

"What?" she asks with a hiss type whine; and though he's heard Lois do it a million times, he's reminded of the way Jo'an did the same hiss/whine this afternoon while talking to Victor. His daughter is so much like her mo-Lois, it's scary and…endearing; which makes it even scarier.

Lois opens one eye and glares up at Clark when he doesn't say anything, but doesn't leave either, making it more than obvious he's waiting for her to acknowledge him. What else could he possibly want? She's already given him the kid.

"Thank you."

He says the two words with so much emotion and gratitude and sincerity that Lois doesn't even think about bustin' his chops for being 'corny' or 'sentimental'. Far from it; she can't seem to think at all; or work her mouth to speak, or anything. The way he's looking at her right now, it's like she just gave him the most precious gift in the world; like he was homeless and hungry, and she just dropped a double cheeseburger and a million dollars into his empty guitar case.

Lois gulps slightly, though how one can gulp _slightly _is a mystery in itself, Lois manages just fine. That much gratitude, being aimed at her, it's just…_overwhelming._

Reluctantly, Clark gives his daughter a small squeeze before holding her out to Lois.

Lois doesn't move. She hasn't moved since he thanked her and he realizes she's in some form of shock. He just doesn't understand _why_.

He helps her out. Manually. He holds Jo'an in one arm, and uses the other to position Lois's arms. He works fast, not knowing exactly when the 'shock' will wear off; but knowing it might not be safe for him here when it does.

Gently, he lays his little girl into Lois's arms, and she automatically looks down at the kid before looking back at him, a million questions dancing around behind her wide eyes.

"She might wake up and want you," he explains.

_And not me, _he adds to himself. But Lois hears his unspoken thoughts just as clearly as if he'd spoken them aloud. She opens her mouth to respond; but has no idea of what she should say.

"Goodnight Lois," Clark whispers. He offers her a small smile before leaning over to kiss his daughter goodnight; but the way he'd positioned Jo'an into Lois's arms, the child's forehead is pressed against the corner of Lois's mouth. So when Clark leans in to kiss his daughter, the corner of his mouth accidently brushes against Lois's lips causing her to jump and gasp a little.

"I'm sorry I scared you earlier," he apologizes. Despite the small brush of the lips, he hasn't backed away much, so his face is still mere inches from her own. It makes her nervous, so naturally she begins to chew on the corner of her bottom lip.

The small action catches Cark's attention and he simply stares at her. Not because there's a sexual interest, but because he's seen his daughter do it a few times. Just like that. _Exactly _the way Lois is doing it right now; and again he's reminded of just how much they're alike.

He gives his head a mental shake and backs away from them slowly before turning around and heading for the door.

"Clark."

Clark turns back around quickly with a frown on his face. Lois calling him Clark instead of Smallville, or farm boy, or Clarkie is usually a bad thing.

"You can sleep in here if you want to," she says. She's still holding the little girl in her arms and she's not exactly sure why she hasn't put her down yet at she's getting kinda heavy. Usually she can hold Jo'an much longer than a few minutes; but a sleeping Jo'an is heavier than a dead cow.

"What?" He asks while taking a few steps toward her. Super hearing or no super hearing; he isn't exactly sure he heard what he thought he heard. Lois wants him…is going to let him sleep in here with them.

The idea is appealing; to be able to be that close to his daughter for _hours? _The idea is definitely more than appealing.

Quickly, he turns around, heading for the door again.

"Where are you going?" Lois frowns.

"To get a pillow and my"-

"Just share with the kid."

Clark's jaw drops a little. "You want me to sleep with you…in the same bed, sleep…I mean,"-

"Smallville get a hold of yourself. Of course I was talking about the bed, where else would you sleep?"

"On the"-

"Don't answer that," she interrupts while laying the child in the middle of the bed. He was seriously going to sleep on the floor? For what? The bed is big enough for the three of them, and this isn't a movie. They're not going to wake up in each other's arms and freak out about it. There's a kid here for goodness sakes.

"This is the line that separates your side from mine," she announces.

"But that's Jo'an," he points out.

It amazes Lois how she felt so sorry for him just seconds ago and now she feels like pulling her hair, and his. Why does he have to make _everything _so damn difficult?

"I know it's the kid Smallville, but I"-

"No, what I meant was, she doesn't stay still. At all. Won't our 'sides' get messed up?"

"Oh,"-

"And you move around a lot too," he points out unnecessarily as the statement is almost completely irrelevant to what was going on. At least, it won't help with the 'his and hers' side dilemma.

Lois narrows her eyes at him. She's realized that while watching the kid sleep, he could see her as well; but they've sort of come to a nonverbal agreement not to mention or even _think _about that little tidbit of information. Or at least she had; because quite frankly, the thought of Clark Kent watching her while she slept was/ is a bit….weird.

"Just get in the bed Kent," she practically threatens.

"Okay," he finally agrees and gets into bed beside his daughter. He smiles when she scoots a little closer to him, slinging her hair onto his face and one of her arms onto Lois's.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Sunday, August 15th.


	28. Chapter 28

**Immery: **Thanks! Maybe, just a little;)

**Superherolover22: **Lol. Thanks. I'm glad this story puts you in a better mood.

**JUJUChick16, IceQueen85, Jeremy Shane, c im am a dragon, samse, and lilbit4: **thank you!

**Cloismycel: **Lol. The 'kid'. I think Lois would too, in real life;)

**Sailorgirl129: **Thanks! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as well.

**LunrRain: **Agreed; poor Jo'an.

**S01itaire90: **Thank you! I appreciate your reviews just as much as you like this story. It always makes me happy when I can make others happy!

**Katlynne: **Thanks! I kinda liked that part too.

**Sunset: **Thank you so much, but I'm hoping I don't have 27 more chapters to go. Lol.

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I can't tell if your just commenting, or if you actually want me to write the story. Thank you for reviewing. And definitely poor Clark.

**Crazy4fanfic: **It's okay, you don't have to review every chapter. I mean, I love reviews, but I don't want you to feel guilty if you forget to do so. Thank you, I know I'm going a little too slow for some people's tastes but…

**Joliehaitian79: **Lol. I got that from experience too. My godchildren have been sharing my bed for the last month, I always wake up with someone's foot in my face or head on my rear.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

The first thing Jo'an sees when she opens her eyes is her Daddy. Her _Daddy_! She looks around quickly; wondering if he put her in his bed after she fell asleep in the living room while watching TV last night.

He didn't. She's in her own room; the room she's sharing with her mommy; and her mommy's right there. On her other side. Jo'an's in bed with _both_ of them.

She can't help but to smile.

She should do something special for them she decides; and it only takes her a few seconds to come up with the idea of making them breakfast. But she has to work quickly; who knows when they'll wake up. Well, when her Daddy will wake up anyway. Her mommy almost never wakes up early.

Quietly, she tries to get out of the bed. It's a challenge in itself because all of her body parts are tangled with her parents'.

She starts untangling herself from her mother first; figuring that should be the easiest part; but it's not really so easy. Her mother is laying on top of her arm. All the way. In fact, Jo'an's hand, from her wrist down to her fingers, is poking out the other side of Lois's body. She can even wiggle her fingers without touching her mother at all.

She takes a deep breath, going for the tablecloth trick, and snatches her hand from underneath her mother at top speed. It works! Her mother doesn't so much as stir.

Now for her mother's leg; which is draped across Jo'an's stomach. All the way across of course. Her mommy wasn't wrong when she said she doesn't do anything half-assed.

"No touching Smallville," Lois mumbles when Jo'an puts a hand on her thigh.

Jo'an ignores her and gives her leg a little push. Her mother is always talking in her sleep. She's nowhere near close to waking up. And as if to prove Jo'an's thoughts right, Lois gives a little snort-like snore and turns over.

One parent down…

Jo'an has to be more careful with her daddy. He's not as tangled up with her as her mommy was; in fact, he's only holding her hand; and though he's only holding onto her as tightly as a human would, she can tell he's gonna be harder. Her daddy's not a heavy sleeper like her mommy. If she snatches her hand from him, he might wake up…but does she really have any other choice?

'_One…two…three.'_

Nothing happens. On the count of three, she was _supposed _to snatch her hand away. Needless to say, she didn't. Chastising herself for wimping out, she decides to try again.

'_One…two…three.'_

Jo'an snatches her hand away from her father's, and immediately he begins to stir a little; groping the sheets in search of her hand. Thinking fast, Jo'an hops out of the bed as fast as she can and rolls her mother over to her father; using her as a decoy.

She's seen that trick on a million different shows, and though she realizes things don't always work out in real life the same way they do in the cartoons, this trick did. Her father grabs her mother's hand and immediately settles back into a peaceful slumber. Then her mother slings her leg over her father's tummy and Jo'an has to leave right away. She couldn't even stay long enough to cover up her mommy's newly exposed undies, because if she woke them up with her laughter, all of her hard work would be wasted. She isn't in favor of that at all.

Once downstairs, Jo'an realizes she has another problem. She's not supposed to make coffee without a grown up watching her. That was the new rule. She hates that rule. She's not a baby.

_Crap! Okay, what to do…what to do…_

She wants to be done before her parents wake up. She _needs_ to come up with something fast. Really fast. Fast like…

She walks over to the cordless phone and dials his number. She had to think about it first because it's not the same as the one at home.

"Hola," he answers. The phone hasn't even finished its first ring, but it's no surprise. He's pretty fast.

"Bobo, I need your help," Jo'an whispers.

"Where are you?"

"Home. I need your"-

"Help?" he finishes for her.

She hangs up the phone. He's right beside her.

"What took you so long?" she whispers fiercely. Her parents might wake up any second and he took his precious time getting here?

"I had to get dressed," he whispers back.

"But what if this was an emergency? I'd be dead Bobo. _Dead_."

"_Is_ it an emergency It?"

"I'm not allowed to make coffee without a grown up here with me."

"So get your Dad to watch you," he scoffs. "I can't believe you really called my over to"-

"Shhh!" Jo'an puts finger up to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet.

"Why are we whispering?" he whispers.

"Daddy's still sleep with Mommy and I want to make them a surprise breakfast so can you _please _help me?"

"Wait, wait, hold up Lane. Your Daddy's sleeping _with _your mommy?"

"Mm-hmm"

"So they're both upstairs?"

"_Yes._"

"So they're both in the same room?"

"I _already _said that."

"So,"-

"_Bobo!_"

"One more"

"_Whaaat_-_tuh_."

"Are they in the same bed?"

"_Yesss-suh"_

"I gotta see this for myself."

And before she can stop him, he's up the stairs and back down again.

"Okay, let's fix your parents some breakfast," he grins.

She narrows her eyes at him. He's smiling way too much.

"So what're we makin'" he whispers.

"Coffee and peanut butter and jelly." Jo'an answers with a shrug. That's pretty much all she knows how to make right now.

"Nah, forget the PB&J," Bart instructs while walking over to the refrigerator. "Let's make them a _real _breakfast. They're probably gonna be starving when they wake up. I know I'm always hungry after…I wake up."

"What are we gonna make?" Jo'an asks before coming up behind Bart, and ducking a little so that she can see the contents of the fridge from just underneath his arm.

"Pancakes," he answers as he pulls out the ingredients he needs while zipping from the cabinets to the refrigerator a couple times.

"Okay," she agrees. It sounds easy enough.

"And eggs."

"Okay." Eggs make sense.

"And sausage."

"Okay."

"With gravy."

"Gravy?"

"To go with the sausage… No, we'll put it on top of the grits."

Jo'an makes a face. "Gravy goes with mashed potatoes and stuff."

"That sounds good; we'll make mashed potatoes and stuffing too."

"Okay," Jo'an shrugs.

"And bacon, and cheese, and tomatoes, and mustard," he sings to himself. "Hey, where're the onions?" he suddenly calls out.

"Onions?"

"For the grilled cheese Kent, keep up."

Jo'an scowls at his back. She's keeping up just fine. Bobo's the one confusing her by putting mismatch food together. Whoever heard of pepperoni with eggs?

Not only that, but she has to keep going behind him and cleaning up. Seems like as soon as she washes a mixing bowl, he dumps three more into the sink; along with wooden spoons and ladles and graters.

Twenty minutes go by before they finish. It feels like way more than that considering all the speeding around they had to do; preparing this and mixing that; boiling this and flipping that; the list goes on and on.

"Alright!" Bart exclaims, and Jo'an automatically puts a finger up, shushing him. She glances up the stairs and listens for her parents. They're still asleep. Weird, but good.

Then she hears a voice she's been dying to hear since yesterday. Her Aunt Chloe's.

"Hey, Bobo," she starts off, not quite sure how she's going to persuade him to let her run off and visit her aunt real quick; but determined to find a way all the same.

"_Bobo!" _she hisses when she sees him.

He's grabbed a plate from the cabinet and filled it with the food they just made for her parents!

"What?"

"Put that back. It's for my mommy and daddy," Jo'an commands.

"Oh, _come _on Lane. We just slaved over that hot stove for _hours_. I…_we_ deserve a little taste."

Jo'an walks over to Bart and takes his fork away from him. "_That's _not a little taste," she points at his full plate; then forks up a little of the food. "_This _is a little taste."

"You know what Lane?" Bart pouts.

"What?"

"I think I like it better when you're acting like a Kent."

"You mean like when we race?"

"Exactly; like when we race, without the cheating though. Kents don't cheat."

"Do you wanna race _now_?"

"Of course," he grins. "Where to?"

"The hospital."

"The hospital?"

"Uh-huh. Last one to Aunt Chloe's room is a rotten egg."

Bart frowns and narrows his eyes at her. "Are you trying to _trick_ me?"

She shakes her head. "No, I just thought you would want to see Aunt Chloe, but maybe you should wait until Uncle Ollie leaves, only I don't know when that will be because he's still there from yesterday. I can hear him, and I heard him last night too; but maybe he went home while I was sleeping, cause I wasn't listening the _whole _night, but"-

"Let's go," Bart says. So maybe the Robin Hood wannabe does end up with his perfect little angel winged baby doll. But that doesn't mean he gets to hog up all the Chloe time _now_; does it?

"Okay," Jo'an grins. "On your mark"-

"Forget Mark; let's just _go,_" he says while grabbing her hand and…well, _going._

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Thursday, August 19th.


	29. Chapter 29

**Leyna: **Wow! Thanks! I'm really glad you're enjoying this still. Makes me feel good;)

**IceQueen825: **Lol. I didn't actually think you'd like this chapter that much, because it didn't have a lot of Lois and Clark in it. Thank you!

**Madlenita: **Thanks. The 'kid' is really something isn't she? Lol.

**Karrtoonmonkey, c im am a dragon, Cathy, Jeremy Shane, batgirl2992, s01itaire90, lilbit4, and samse: **Thanks!

**Iluvaqt: **Lol. Just as long as it was a hand I guess.

**Immery: **Lol. I don't think the word "dead" even covers it.

**Wizziewoo123: **Next chapter!

**Sunset: **Thank you! I'm really glad you like her. Wanna hear something funny? A little while ago, Alexis was reading a part of the story out loud, the part where Lois tells Jo'an that Tyler likes her, and she said to me, "He _likes _me? Uh-uh, who likes you? You can't have no boyfriend." I just laughed at her and asked her why not. She told me that I can't have a boyfriend because he'll cheat on me, and that I have to wait until I'm 28. And she'll wait until she's 28 too. Lol. She really is my inspiration for Jo'an, and I hope that if she reads this story someday, she'll be able to see herself in the character I've created; and that she'll be glad that more people found her adorable than annoying. Thank you again!

**Twistedsky: **You're hilarious with the 'I like this, and this, oh, and this; you know what, I just like the whole damn story' attitude. You really cracked me up. Thank you!

**Brainchild: **lol, the breakfast. It didn't even make sense to me, but it felt like a Bart thing, so I just went with my instincts. I'm glad you liked it!

**Clanafan 1789: **I don't know; I just like her more than I like Lana. I think I like everyone more than I like Lana. Lol.

**Wtchcool: **No problem. "Ants In His Pants, Glue In His Shoes" is gonna be the title. I haven't actually written it yet, but I have a couple ideas. I should have it posted a week from today. 'Should' being the operative word, so don't hold me to it;)

**Cloismycel: **Lol. I'm glad you caught onto the 'Kent Lane' thing he does. I just thought it'd be kinda fun. Thank you for taking the time to leave me reviews;)

**Cloisfinally123: **Lol. Lois convincing herself nothing was going to happen just because the kid was there…is she serious? Lol.

**LunrRain: **nah, you're not a pedophile. They are pretty fun together. I didn't even notice that they're kinda like Clark and Lois…weird;)

**CoLdBlADe: **Thanks! A lot of people tell me she's cute. It always makes me feel better. And no, I haven't seen Merlin yet. It sounds interesting. I do like wizards and magic and stuff.

**iheartBL: **Who's BL. Not that I'm being nosy, and you definitely don't have to answer. Nah, I couldn't kill Jimmy, he'd been through enough, but I don't exactly like him with Chloe either so…

Yay! Another Sailor Moon watcher. Lol. I'm glad you tried to read it all in one day, but I understand the need for sleep. I'm in dire need of it now, but I promised I'd post today, so I have to finish this chapter.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **LOl. I would really like to know what a nameday is. My curiosity has been peaked. Thank you, I think it's both too, but more so my goddaughter. She really is something else. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Don't you have something more important to do?"

"Nope."

Chloe exaggerates an exasperated sigh. She's more than amused. Oliver Queen, full time billionaire who moonlights as the green arrow has nothing more important to do than thumb wrestle her?

"You should go home. Get some rest."

"I rested last night."

Another amused smile from Chloe. He needs a better dictionary. Sleeping in a hard chair, while waking up every few minutes to check up on a person who isn't even hurt that bad is not the definition of 'rest'.

"Well you should go home and take a shower then."

"After I win."

"Ollie, you've been letting me win since we started."

"So when I let me win, I'll go home," Oliver shrugs while letting Chloe win yet again.

"Seriously,"-

"Aunt Chloe!"

Before Chloe can even process the fact that there's someone else in the room with them, Jo'an is laying on top of her; arms wrapped loosely around her aunt's neck, and face buried in the woman's neck.

"You're not dead," she exclaims, but it comes out a little muffled because her face is still buried in Chloe's neck.

"Dead? Of course I'm not dead! Jeez! What have you guys been telling my niece about me?" Chloe asks before wrapping her arms around the child reassuringly.

"Nothing," Jo'an interrupts before anyone attempts to answer. "They didn't tell me _anything_; and when I listened for you, I couldn't hear you, and Uncle Victor said it was because you were sleeping"-

"OK Lane," Bart interrupts the child's rambling. "Just breathe, and get off of Chloe so that she can breathe too."

"No, I don't have to. Do I Aunt Chloe? See, she's still breathing real good. Right Aunt Chloe?"

"Actually," Oliver interjects. He hates to be the bearer of bad news, or captain obvious but someone's got to acknowledge the problem here. And there _is _a problem here. "Joey, how did you get here?"

"I ran," she answers as if it's the most obvious answer in the world.

"With Bart?"

"Yes."

Oliver turns around and glares at the young and irresponsible man behind him. He pretty much knows the answer to the next question he's gonna ask, but just to be sure…

"Do your parents know where you are?"

Jo'an hesitates slightly before giving her answer; understanding that she should have at least asked her daddy for permission before running off.

"No, they're sleep."

"In the same bed," Bart adds before boldly stepping in front of Oliver and leaning over Chloe. "You know gorgeous, me and you can share _this_ bed if you wanna. I'm really small. I'll fit easy."

Chloe tries her hardest not to laugh, and to keep her eyes on his face rather than letting them slide…downward. It's no good. She uses Jo'an's hair to hide her face while she laughs.

"Hey! You know what I meant. I'm skinny. But everywhere else is normal size. I'm not _small_."

"So Lois and Clark were in the same bed?" Chloe chokes out, attempting to change the subject, and to focus on something other than things she really shouldn't be focused on.

"_Are _in the same bed," Bart corrects; he's glad of the subject change.

"Did you just"-

"Yep, just checked on 'em, and they're still asleep," he grins.

"You better not have eaten any of Mommy and Daddy's breakfast just now Bobo!" Jo'an scolds.

He'd been tempted to, but he'd already spent too much time there; covering up the cuddly couple, snapping a few pictures, stuff like that.

"Bobo?" Chloe starts on the smiling again, and even Oliver, who's heard the nickname before and is supposed to be getting his niece back home before her parents wake up, had to laugh at Bart.

"That is so cute," Chloe giggles.

"You think so huh?" Bart grins widely as if she'd just said _he _was cute and sits down beside her. And even though there really isn't a lot of room on the bed, he _is_ small; so he does fit. "So, how _you _doin'?"

"Bobo, back away," Jo'an warns after she and her aunt roll their eyes simultaneously. Oliver smiles. Sometimes the child is like Chloe too; but that's to be expected because sometimes Chloe is a little like her big cousin.

"Why me?" Bart scowls down at the little girl who is still lying on top of his baby. "Why can't you back away?"

"'Cause I was here first."

"Technically, I was here first."

"Bobo!"

"Jojo" he mimics her whine. He should really be careful. Hanging around Lane junior has a way of making him embrace his inner child; well, more so than usual.

"What are you smiling at?" Bart asks the little girl suspiciously. He doesn't trust her when she's just being normal; but her grinning from ear to ear like that worries him.

"You. You always call me Jojo at home."

"Bobo and Jojo? Oh my god," Chloe squeaks. It must be the drugs. She isn't normally a squeaker but for some reason she's in one of the giddiest moods she's ever been in; and that's including the first time she fell in love and had the butterfly in the tummy syndrome.

"Bobo and Jojo," she repeats, but with an effort to leave out the squeak. "That's adorable."

"Mommy said she's gonna put it on our wedding invitation," Jo'an announces proudly. Though she hadn't actually gotten around to asking her mother what a wedding invitation is, she assumed it was a good thing. And that it had something to do with her marrying Bobo; which she is _going _to do. That way they can be together forever.

"Wedding invitation?" Chloe laughs for what seems to be the millionth time in less than twenty minutes.

"Wedding invitation," Oliver snarls before smacking Bart in the back of the head.

"Ow, chill dude" Bart faces Oliver while rubbing his head. "I'm not going to _actually _marry Lane."

"Yes you are," Jo'an says with enough conviction for the both of them.

"No way."

"Why not?" Jo'an frowns.

"Yeah, why not?" Chloe teases.

Both Oliver and Bart glare at Chloe. Bart has every intention of apologizing to her for it later, but right now…she can't be serious.

"Don't you want to be with me for always and forever Bobo?"

"Awww," Chloe croons.

"Uh." And that's as far as Bart goes because he does _not _know what to say to that.

Jo'an sniffs, taking his silence for a negative answer. "You don't like me anymore," she wails before pressing her face against her aunt's neck once again.

Oliver smacks Bart in the back of the head again.

"Dude! What the…" but he stops at the look Oliver's giving him. "What? You want…you…you want me to _marry_ her?" he whispers.

"No; just _like _her."

"But"-

"But I don't want you to like her _too_ much."

"But"-

"But you can't like her too little either."

"But"-

"Just find the 'just right' goldilocks and do it. Understood?"

"Yes Papa Bear," Bart answers. Naturally, that bit of sarcasm earns him another smack to the head.

Bart sighs and reaches out to touch the little girl's shoulder.

"Too much! You're liking her too much. You don't need to touch her. You'll send mixed signals," Oliver hisses.

Bart draws his hand back quickly and scratches the side of his head. He's confused and irritated and Chloe keeps laughing and he's always liked her smile so- he shakes his head, trying to get himself to focus on the task at hand. Kent Junior.

"Uh, Jojo?"

"What?"

Bart turns to face Oliver. Lane didn't even look at him; so what the heck is he supposed to do now?

Oliver just makes a shooing motion with his hands. What a big help he is.

"So, Jojo,"-

"I already said 'what'."

"Uh, if you stop crying"-

"I'm not crying"

"If you stop…_that_, I'll pick you up from school today; then we can go to Mexico again. Just you and me."

"Too much!" anther hiss and smack from Oliver.

"I mean, you, me and your dad," Bart corrects.

Oliver taps Bart on the shoulder, and when the young man faces him, Oliver points at himself.

"_You? _but you're so slow," Bart complains.

But Oliver doesn't budge, so Bart turns back to Jo'an with a serious pout on his face. He hates going slow.

Jo'an' lifts her head up; and Bart thinks he's finally making progress. But then:

"I'm suspended from school."

"Really Lane? Already?...Yes! Pay up Papa Bear."

"You guys betted?" Chloe asks; but it's more of a scold.

Oliver refuses to look at Chloe as he pulls out five twenties and gives them to Bart.

"I'll be back. I've got to collect my winnings from the other guys. Thank you Jojo!" Bart gives her a loud smack of a kiss on the cheek. "We can go anywhere you want now. How about china? You wanna go to China? Let's go to China. I'm gonna take you to China. Just the two of us," he calls over his shoulder before disappearing. Forget Oliver; it's not like he can keep up anyway.

Jo'an sits upright. As much as she wants to, she can't be happy right now. China sounds great, but she's in so much trouble with Uncle Ollie. She can tell.

"Spill," he commands.

"I wasn't listening to the teacher 'cause I was trying _not_ to listen for Mommy, but it was really hard," Jo'an answers. It's not exactly the truth; but it's not entirely a lie either. She really did get a lot of frowny faces for not paying attention in class.

"Children don't get _suspended_ for not paying attention in class," Oliver tells her.

"I got in trouble for having my phone in class?" Jo'an offers, hoping it will be enough; but it's not.

"Jo'an, I'm not going to ask you again."

"I got into an altercation with another student," Jo'an says; repeating the words her mother read from the note yesterday and hoping it sounded a lot less like she'd been fighting; which she hadn't. Not really. Tyson was the one doing all the hitting, but she doesn't want her grownups to know that.

"What kind of an altercation?" Oliver presses.

Jo'an doesn't answer, just holds onto the arm that Tyson hurt yesterday. It doesn't hurt anymore, but she's not used to getting hurt…

Oliver narrows his eyes, zeroing in on the way the child is rubbing her arm.

"I'm back, so who wants to go to Africa?" Bart announces.

"I thought we were going to China," Jo'an pipes up eagerly.

"We can do both."

"You're not going anywhere!" Oliver nearly yells at the child. "Not until you tell me what happened to your arm!"

"My arm?"

"Spill."

"Uh, Mommy's calling me," Jo'an says before speeding away.

"Oh no you don't. You're not getting away that easy," Oliver mutters to himself.

Bart snorts at him. He's taking his "Uncle duties" a little too seriously. But then Oliver turns on him and Bart takes a few steps back, not liking the look on the green archer's face at all.

"Take me to the farm," Oliver demands.

Bart just looks at him. Surely he's lost it. But he seems to be serious. He's walking toward him anyway.

"You want _me _to…How?" Bart asks while taking another step back.

"Quickly."

"I'm not a Kent. I don't have speed _and_ strength!"

"Figure it out, but I want to be at that farm in less than three."

"Minutes? No prob"-

"Seconds."

"Seconds?" Bart practically squeaks.

"And what are you laughing at?" Bart demands of Chloe once he has a hold on Oliver.

Chloe ignores Bart and keeps laughing. She can't stop even if she actually wanted to. The image of Bart carrying Oliver, without super-strength; Oh my God.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **for those who didn't read all the replies I made, I decided to write a 'little Lois, little Clark;' story, based on what she would do if they were in the first grade together, and he had light up shoes. It should be posted a week from today. I hope you'll check it out; and I hope you'll like it. The title will be "Ants in His Pants. Glue in His Shoes"

Next post will be Monday August 23rd.


	30. Chapter 30

**JUJUChick16: **Lol. Thanks! I kinda figured she would.

**Wizziewoo123, karrtoonmonkey, Jeremy Shane, immery, madlenita, Eternal density: **Thanks!

**Cathy: **Thank you! I was having so much fun with Oliver and Bart; and I hope you like the first grade story with little Lois and Clark.

**Wtchcool: **Thank you, it is too bad about Bobo and Jojo's age difference. They're so much fun.

**Darkstrider: **Awesome sauce? Cool beans! I'm glad this story made you laugh, I really hope you enjoy the rest.

**Wiiviewer: **Thank you! Lana's 'visiting her aunt Nell'. Supposedly anyway, who knows what she's really doing.

**Iluvaqt: **Thank you! I fixed it, among other things. And yeah, Oliver is pretty much her father because of Clark's absence, it's kinda sad, but…

**Crazy4fanfictin2008: **Wow, nameday sounds like a lot of fun actually; and it wasn't long at all; no need for warnings and apologies;)

Lol. Don't ask where I got that from. I hadn't even planned on the Jojo and Bobo thing. It just kinda happened. I think it was actually a typo or something; but I saw it and it just tickled me, and I was hoping you guys would like it too, and lucky for me you did!

**lunrRain: **Thanks! Bojo or Jobo? Hmmm. I don't even know which one _I_ like better; guess we'll have to just use both. Lol. Good luck in school!

**S01itaire90: **Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it, and there seemed to be a lot that you liked in this chapter. I just hope you enjoy the rest of the story too;)

**iheartBL: **Lol. I think you just did a perfect summary of the whole chapter. I'm glad you seemed to like the whole thing. And thank you for answering my question about BL. I've never seen one tree hill.

**iceQueen825: **Thank you! I'm glad. I think they sort of wake up in each other's arms. I hope you're not disappointed.

**Readerofwonderfulwriters: **Thank you! Two days huh? I'm seriously flattered. Thanks again!

**Katlynne: **Thank you! Well, I hope I supplied what you're looking for. Hopefully. I understand about the reviews. Education first;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Smallville is a weird town; full of weird people and weird…_things_; but nothing could be weirder than Lois Lane waking up before Clark Kent. Nothing. Not the kid who absorbed body heat from a bunch of girls; or that girl who communicated with the bees; not even that one kid who mutated and was kinda half human half bug. At least nothing shouldn't be any weirder; but considering the _reason _she awakes first, it's probably only slightly weirder than the guy who figured out a way to make himself invisible, or that plant that made everybody want to fight and…do other things.

She wakes up because she's hot; and because something is poking her somewhere she shouldn't be poked. Out of habit, she groans irritably.

_The kid and her foot need to be tied down to HER side of the bed._

She's had that thought so many times, she doesn't even need to awaken fully to think it. Still halfway asleep, she grabs the kid's foot, attempting to move it away from her…but it's not her foot. It's not even _a _foot. It feels like a…a…

Lois opens her eyes abruptly, letting go of the 'foot' with a startled gasp; and when she lifts her head up, the first thing she sees is Clark Kent. Her first instinctive response is to scream and yell for the perv to get off of her; but that wouldn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense because he's _not_ on her. She's on _him_. How the hell did she end up straddling Smallville; and his…he's…Jesus Christ! She's gotta get off of him. Preferably without him finding out she was ever on him. So that means now. Right now.

She moves a little, making sure to go really slow so that she doesn't wake him. She's determined to at least get over to her side of the bed.

It proves to be quite a challenge. One; there's nearly no wiggle room due to the blanket. It's tucked around the two of them tightly; like they've been cocooned or something. No wonder she'd been, and still is, so hot. Two; Clark isn't letting her go. She hadn't realized it before, but his arms are wrapped around her waist, pinning her arms to her side; and he's resting his hands gently on top of her bottom.

She rests her head against his chest while chewing on her bottom lip. Craning her head up to watch his face is starting to hurt her neck. That's all. And even if she is listening to his heart beat against his chest, she's not actually _trying_ to listen to his _heartbeat_; she's listening to his breathing. It makes sense right? Since she can't _see_ if he's still awake, it makes sense for her to listen out for him.

He moves just a little, but enough to fluster her completely. Instantly, she regrets the decision she made last night. Why on earth didn't she just get her lazy ass out of the bed and put on some shorts; some sweats; _anything_! But she didn't; and now her shirt's ridden all the way up to her chest, meaning Clark's hands are in direct contact with her underwear. And so is his…are his boxers. Boxers? When did he take off his pants? He had them on last night…come to think of it, he had a shirt on too. Why isn't he wearing a shirt? And why on earth didn't she notice the missing shirt before? Like, when she first woke up before.

_This is bad. This is really, really bad. I gotta get off of him!_

She wiggles her arms a bit more; trying to free them. She realizes she's being a lot less careful than before, but… she's on top of Smallville. _Smallville_; who's not very _small_ at the moment, and she's sort of having a mild panic attack right now. Which, in her opinion, she's entitled to.

Clark stirs a little and Lois stills completely.

_Please don't wake up. Please, please, please don't…_

He mumbles a few words that don't actually make sense together before squeezing her bottom. Lois opens her mouth to protest, but he's still asleep, so she doesn't let a sound escape from her lips. It's really hard because she wants him to stay asleep, but she wants to give him a piece of her mind. She can't just let him get away with that. He just grabbed her ass for Christ's sake! Of course he probably thinks it's Lana's; but still…

"Lois."

_Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god._

She quickly closes her eyes tightly, racking her brain for a reason, _any _reason, for why she is where she is.

But seconds go by and that's all he says; so she chances a glance at his face and discovers that he's still asleep. Relief floods through her and she exhales loudly. Maybe a little too loudly, but Clark still doesn't awaken.

_Yes!_

Then her eyes widen in shock. He's still asleep. He's still asleep _and_ he just grabbed her butt before whispering her name?

She doesn't exactly know how to react to that. A part of her wants to scratch out his eyes balls and curse him out. That may be a little extreme. The scratching out of the eyeball, so realistically speaking, she'd settle for kicking him…in the face. Another part of her wants to have a little fun with him by teasing him about it for…the rest of his life; and a small part, a _very _small part of her kinda likes it. A lot; but it's a really weak part of her, and she can easily crush it, stomp on it, tear it into a million pieces, and hide it under a rock. That is, she can if she wants to.

He turns over, taking her by complete surprise with his sudden movements; and now he's lying on top of her.

_Much better. Much, __much,__ better._

"Smallville, get off of me you perv!" she yells at the top of her lungs.

He awakes with a start; and she actually has a little trouble keeping her face stern. The way he looks as he bumbles around, trying to get off of her while making sure not to touch anything he's not supposed to; which is pretty much everything when it comes to Lois; it's actually pretty funny. Totally Smallville.

It isn't long before she gives in and grins at him. She can't help it. His cheeks have actually turned red. Red. Not some rosy pink color; but red. How can she really resist this opportunity to tease the Boy Scout? Seriously, this one _literally_ fell into her lap.

"Having naughty dreams about me Kent?"

"N-no," he stammers.

"Yes you were," she teases before sending a not so subtle glance toward the front of his boxers.

He shakes his head "no" and his cheeks get even redder, bordering on purple and he swallows audibly a few times. Normally, she'd tease him about that; but right now she's kinda surprised. He isn't looking away from her or down at the floor; he's looking at her face. Straight into her eyes. Interesting. She would've thought he'd be avoiding eye contact for sure.

"Are you sure?" she raises an eyebrow; challenging him to tell the truth, but knowing that he won't.

"Uh…"

She cocks her head to the side, eyebrow still raised. 'Uh?' instead of a flat out 'yes I'm sure I wasn't dreaming about you Lois?' Even more interesting. But she gets distracted by something else. Something important.

"Smell that Smallville?" she asks while jumping out of the bed abruptly.

"What?" he asks suspiciously before covering himself up. She ignores him. As far as she's concerned he has nothing to be self-conscious or ashamed of. And it's not like she hasn't seen him before. She even knows what Clark juniors looks like, even though she keeps that particular image trapped in the back of her mind like some kind of repressed memory.

"Coffee," she answers.

"What about it?" he asks. The way she'd just said 'coffee'; it was almost like it was a bad thing that she smelled it; which is odd because Lois loves coffee. It's the first thing she wants when she wakes up.

"The kid is only supposed to make it when she's with an adult. I already told her that. You know that. You were there."

"Lois"-

"Did you stand in there and watch her while she made it?"

"No"-

"Of course not, me and you were wrapped up in the-by the way let's forget that ever happened. _I'd _like to forget that ever happened. It was traumatizing the first go around. No need for reminders and such."

"I'm sorry Lois it won't ever happen"-

"Again? Yeah, I definitely know that already. Tonight, you and your mini me are sleeping on top of the comforter. I'm sleeping under it. I'm sure that'll work," she begins trailing off to herself as she makes her way out of the room so that she can confront the little girl.

"Junior!" Lois yells once she's at the top of the stairs. "How many more times am I going to have to tell you about the damn coffee maker!"

Clark smiles and follows behind her. He'd been a hundred percent sure she was going to tell him they can't share a bed anymore. But she didn't, and as awkward as the 'wake up' had been, the sleeping part was- he looks down at himself. Why on earth _isn't_ he wearing anything other than boxers? That's not how he went to bed.

And because he's distracted by his missing clothing, Clark bumps into Lois, who has stopped walking without him being aware of it. He looks up to see what the problem is and it doesn't take long to figure out why Lois looks like her head is about to explode..

"JUNIOR!"

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **So, I'm not too good with my ratings and stuff, but do you think I should move this story up to a T rating because of this chapter? I wasn't overly explicit, but there were suggestive themes I guess. I don't know, that's why I'm asking you guys. I really don't want to offend anyone or get into trouble for having the wrong rating on here.

Next post will be Friday, August 27th.


	31. Chapter 31

**Cathy: **Lol. Too short? It was my standard 1,500. Lol. I know what you meant though.

**Katlynne: **thanks! Glad you liked this chapter and I never care if you repeat yourself. As long as it's good news; lol.

**Leyna: **spitting out water! Lol. I hate it when that happens to me.

**Wtchcool: **I know right, a pissed off Uncle Ollie and now a pissed off Lois, poor kid.

**IceQueen825: **Bart was just trying to help them out…yeah right. Lol.

Oh, I don't post on Mondays and Fridays. I post every four days so when I post on Mondays, my four days later always falls on a Friday. When I post on a Tuesday, my four days later always falls on a Saturday etc..

**Madlenita: **Thanks and maybe;)

**Jeremy Shane, JUJUChick16, Monaivendork, Samse, lilbit4, c im am a dragon, nightwing 509: **Thanks!

**Cray4fanfic2008: **Me too! I've got the I'm-sorry syndrome real bad. Lol. Probably why I told you that you don't have to apologize so much. Cause I really understand.

And no; it's not depressing that you knew the meteor freaks by name. That makes you hella cool to me. Of course I know the name of every Smallville episode in order; so….

**IheartBL: **I'm so glad I made ya laugh. That's more or less why I write mostly humor. I guess I just like to laugh and be goofy and stuff; so I'm glad you guys do too.

**Shelly: **Thanks! I'm flattered.

**Iluvaqt: **Lol. Nah; Bart wouldn't do that. He's not stupid.

**Sunset: **Thank you. Lol. I don't know about the beginning of this chapter; but I'll see if I can work it in here somehow;)

Sadly my inspirations have gone home, and I miss them like crazy; but I honestly have enough memories to make about a hundred Jo'an stories. Lol.

Fifty chapters! Dear god; you're trying to kill me right? Give me some kind of anxiety attack? I think the only way I'll be able to pull out another twenty chapters is if I get a mini two week vacation from this story. My brain is starting to hurt from all the requests and wondering how to fit them in; and ideas…and I'm not too sure everyone wants to read that many more chapters. I think they just wanna get to the Clois falling in love scenes;) But thank you for giving me such positive reviews. Sometimes I really can't wrap my head around how much you guys seem to like this story.

**Garces 01: **I know what you mean actually. It's kinda like watching a t.v show that comes on once a week; and then when the season ends it's like….well, you feel like crap. And you kinda start having minor withdrawal symptoms, so you watch re-runs or read fanfics just to hold you off until the season picks up again four months later. Well; that might just be me. I really hope you're not_ too_ sad when the story ends. You can always request a new story. Someone sorta requested I do a story with Clark and Lois as first graders. I just posted today. So if you, you know, need a quick fix or whatever, just lemme know and I'll try to hook you up. Lol…quick fix…like you're a junkie or something. Don't mind me. I'm just weird.

**S01itaire09: **Lol. I'm so glad you liked it that much; but on some level it makes me feel kinda pressured to make this chapter almost as good as the last. I hope I did okay.

**1eclecticreader: **How do you guys do that! Sit and read this whole story in one sitting? I'm flattered. Really flattered. Thank you!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"What the hell is this?" Lois yells once Jo'an runs into the kitchen at human speed.

"Lois, language," Clark reprimands for the millionth time.

"Breakfast," the little girl answers casually.

"Breakfast!"Lois makes a point of looking around at the kitchen. There are plates and pots and pans of food _everywhere_. This is _not_ breakfast; it's a damn dinner buffet.

"Yeah for you and Daddy. Don't you like it?"

"You wanna know what I like?" Lois drops her voice down to an almost whisper that's actually a lot scarier than the yelling.

"Um, pancakes?" Jo'an answers nervously. Her mommy loves pancakes at home; but this mommy is a little different.

Lois shakes her head at the little girl before answering. "Rules; and do you know what I like most about rules?"

"I uh"-

"Is when people follow them. So tell me, what is the rule about the coffee maker?"

"But I"-

"No buts, just tell me the rule."

Jo'an sighs. "I have to have a grown up with me when I make coffee but"-

"One more but, and you'll get a swift kick in yours," Lois retorts.

Jo'an contemplates that for a second before answering, "But that would hurt."

"And _that_ would be the point."

"But why would you want to hurt yourself Mommy?"

"Did she…did she just _threaten_ me?" Lois gasps.

Clark begins to ease his way toward his daughter while answering with a, "No Lois she just meant"-

"That sounded like a threat to me."

Instinctively, Jo'an begins to move at the look her mother's giving her; and she ends up really close to her father by the time her mother figures she wants to kill her.

"I'm gonna kill the little"-

"Lois!" Clark yells while lifting Jo'an and keeping her out of Lois's reach. "She didn't mean anything by it."

"Then what did she mean?"

"She probably meant the whole "it's gonna hurt me worse than it's gonna hurt you" thing. You probably say it to her all the time in the future. Right Jo'an?"

The answer's no; but Jo'an Lane Kent is _not_ stupid.

"Right Daddy."

Just then Bart stumbles into the kitchen…with Oliver on his back. He wavers a bit before falling face down onto the floor; too exhausted to even breathe.

Oliver hops off of Bart's back before he collapses and heads straight for the little girl on Clark's hip. But she gets down with a concerned "Bobo!" and hurries to Bart's side.

"I shouldn't ask, should I?" Lois leans in and whispers to Clark. Either the Bozo kid had just given her ex a piggy back ride, or she didn't really see what she just thought she saw. She decides to go for the latter.

Clark just shakes his head. He has a pretty good idea of what that was all about; but even _he _is gonna treat this like a 'don't ask; don't tell' moment.

"Bobo are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Oliver. Heavy. Need. Food."

"Okay," Jo'an agrees before sending a glare Oliver's way. She loves her uncle a lot; but he should know better than to make her Bobo like…_this_. It's rude.

"Don't give me that look young lady! You've still got some explaining to do!" Oliver scolds while approaching her rapidly.

"Uh, hold it Oliver," Lois commands. "I was yelling at her first. You can go after me."

"Lois," Clark steps forward. "You don't even know what he wants to yell at my, _our, _daughter for."

"Oh please Smallville;" Lois gives him a signature eye roll before continuing. "Have you seen the two of them together? Ollie acts like the kid can do no wrong; so the fact that he's here, thinking she's done wrong, means she probably has; and that she deserves whatever he's gonna dish out."

"Uh, thanks Lois, but I'm not so sure _she's _the one who's done wrong," Oliver corrects. "This kid she had an "altercation" with"-

"Yeah, we know about it," Lois interrupts. "He has a crush on her, so he's been picking"-

"He?"

"Would you rather it was a she who had a crush on her? Yeah. He."

"So, it's okay for _him _to hurt her," he asks angrily while jabbing his index in the direction of the little girl.

Jo'an sighs. Her mommy's not gonna be happy soon.

"Hurt her? What, like calling her names or trying to cut her hair or something like that; because I asked her specifically if Tyler's ever hit her and she said no; right Junior?"

"Um…sort of," Jo'an admits reluctantly.

"What do you mean sort of? You told me he never hit you."

"I"-

"So which is it? Does he sort of hit you or has he never hit you?"

"Uh, maybe just a little bit," she says while helping Bart up and towards the food; and even though she is helping her Bobo, she's sort of hiding behind him too.

"Just a little bit?" Lois repeats after raising an eyebrow out of anger. "And just what is a…_little_ bit," she replies evenly.

Simultaneously, Clark and Oliver begin to fix themselves a plate food. Yes, they'd be ready to step in if the time came; but really, Lois seems to be handling the situation very well all by herself.

And it's true that normally Clark would feel the need to defend his daughter from Lois; but she lied to him. Granted, he realizes the boy didn't inflict any pain on her when he 'hit' her; but that doesn't change the fact that she lied to _both_ of them yesterday …with a straight face. Maybe she needs someone like Lois to discipline her.

"Well? I'm waiting," Lois says a bit impatiently.

Jo'an takes a deep breath before admitting that Tyson may have hit her "a little."

"And how many times is 'a little'?

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders and looks down at her shoes.

"You know," Lois says before putting a finger under the little girl's chin and tilting her face upward. "You have got to be the _only _Lane I know who doesn't know how to keep her head held high. You must get that from Smallville."

"Hey!" Clark interjects.

"I _do_ know how to keep my head up," Jo'an replies stubbornly.

"_Really?_ So when I ask you again how many times the little bastard has hit you, you're not going to look down at your shoes?"

Jo'an nearly looks down at her shoes then, but she's stubborn; and she refuses to give into the urge, not wanting her mother to think she doesn't have what it takes to be a Lane.

"No ma'am."

"Good. Now spill."

"Just"-

"I want a number. Guess if you have to."

"Thirty two," Jo'an replies a little hesitantly despite the pep talk, "but I only fell down three times."

"Thirty two!"

"Hey! Where are you guys going?" Jo'an calls when all of her grownups get up. Her Uncle Ollie and Bobo head toward the door and her parents are heading toward the stairs.

"Yeah where are you two going?" Lois turns around and addresses Bart and Oliver.

"To the school," they answer together.

"You can't go around beating up little kids," Lois lectures. "And besides the little terd's been suspended. He's not at school. And someone's gotta stay and watch the kid."

"So where are _you_ going?"Oliver asks suspiciously. There was no way she was leaving him behind. If she was going to find the little boy on her own; he definitely wanted to be there.

"I can't go to the school dressed like this," she answers as if he just asked her where the sun is.

"No you can't," Bart whistles lowly. Instantly he feels guilty; like he cheated on his Chloe Baby; and with her own cousin to boot. Then he feels pain. Real pain, 'cause Oliver has slapped him upside the head…yet again.

"You can't have both the mother _and _daughter freak."

At that; Clark stops in his tracks, just the way Oliver knew he would. He was on his way upstairs to get changed but…

"What did you just say Oliver?"

"Nothing," Bart answers. "He didn't say nothing."

"Didn'tcha know Clark"-

"Oliver, shut up dude."

"Bart and Jo'an are engaged."

"What?" Clark's voice isn't really working; so that's all he can get past his lips.

"Yeah. Joey's gonna marry Bobo, right honey" Oliver croons while lifting the child up into his arms.

"Yep!" Jo'an explains with a huge smile on her face. It doesn't occurr to her that she's getting her Bobo into trouble.

"Dude, what did I ever do to you?" Bart yells at Oliver before turning to face Clark.

He jumps. Clark is right in front of him and not even a second ago he…wasn't. Bart takes a step back. "Look Clark; Jojo just"-

"See, Jojo and Bobo. Isn't that cute? Lois said she's gonna put it on their wedding invitation," Oliver interrupts.

Clark raises his eyebrows.

"Hey, you can't kill me. I did you a favor this morning," Bart says.

"What favor?"

"Look around you man. Who do you think fixed all this? The tooth fairy?"

Clark smiles. He does love food. And it all tasted pretty good; plus, he's sure the whole Bojo Jobo thing is just a one-sided crush.

"And how good did it feel to wake up with Lane on top of ya? Huh?"

Oliver raises his eyebrows and covers Jo'an's ears. She can still hear when a human covers her ears, so getting the hint she places her hands over her uncle's; blocking out the sound of her grownups' voices.

Clark frowns at Bart. He didn't wake up with Lois on top of him. Quite the opposite in fact. He was on top of Lois…and his…he was kinda excited. Well a lotta excited. And then she'd screamed and told him to get off of her, and she'd called him a perv; which he normally hated being called because the name just does _not _apply to him at all; until this morning, when he was dreaming about…doing stuff with…_Lois_.

He remembers trying to get off of her as fast as possible; but it just wasn't possible. The blanket was wrapped around them so tightly that there was no wiggle room. It was like they were cocooned or something; but despite the fact that he couldn't really wiggle; he did so anyway. He was trying to loosen the blanket while also being very careful not to rip it like tissue paper in front of Lois. But he hadn't been thinking clearly; because all he was thinking about was finding a way to get off of her using any means necessary; and all the wiggling was doing, was just moving himself against her. Not good. And then; as if the situation couldn't get any worse, his…he fell out of his boxers. And of course she noticed because she was _wasn't_ wearing any shorts; and that's when her eyes grew really big and he tried even harder to get off…of her…he tried even harder to get off of her.-

"Wait a minute Bart. What makes you think Lois was lying on top of me?"

"That's how you two we're sleeping the last time I saw you. I had to tuck you two in. You looked kinda cold."

He'd tucked them in? And then he remembers how tight the blanket was tucked around them; and how they couldn't get out. And his missing Clothes…he wouldn't have.

"You didn't by any chance remove any articles of clothing; did you Bart?"

"Hey, I didn't touch Lane. And all I did was made you two even."

Jo'an might not be able to hear what the grownups are talking about; but she can see very well. And right now; her father looks like Bobo is gonna die. For real.

"Bobo run!" Jo'an shouts before uncovering her ears.

Bart bolts. He doesn't need to be told twice.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **So as you can see, I've changed the rating. I actually looked up the rating guide and it said K+ material is "Suitable for more mature children, 9 years and older, with minor action violence without serious injury. May contain mild coarse language. Should not contain any adult themes." My godson's nine; and I would definitely let him read this. I don't know if that makes me a bad person; but I honestly think the jokes would kinda just go over his head; however, there _are_ adult themes and I don't want any angry parents yelling at me should their nine year old ask them about some of the "inappropriate" things I've written; and _will_ write.

Thank you for your feedback!

Next post will be Tuesday August 31st.


	32. Chapter 32

**IceQueen825: **Lol, I don't think it was really 'scolding'; but more like Lois goading Jo'an into doing what she wanted. We've seen Jo'an do it a few times; she had to get her manipulating skills from somewhere;)

Oh, and I'm sorry you're sick; I hope you feel better soon.

**Nightwing 509, wizziewoo123, Fitz Darcy, Karrtoonmonkey, Jeremy Shane, fanFICgurl FAN, iheartBL, s01litaire90, JUJUChick16, nequam-tenshi, and madlenita: **Thank you!

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I know, Shrek is not for children; but the kids love it.

**Cathy: **I'm so glad you laughed so hard. It actually made me laugh really hard, just reading your review. Unfortunately, I was at work, in a public place, with co-workers all around….kinda embarrassing, but they already know I'm strange.

**1eclecticreader: **I know, I laughed about three times while writing that scene. Falling out of his boxers? Good grief.

**Katlynne: **Thanks! But now I'm curious. What did you think I was gonna right before?

**Alice Blu: **I know, having overprotective uncles and fathers are awesome, aren't they?

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol, I know, my sister is always picking on me about my slight Smallville obsession.

**Darkstrider: **Lol. There's a definite possibility of disjointment. I accidently left that chapter at work, and I stayed up till about six trying to type it up from memory. The same actually happened with this chapter; but I'm hoping it turns out okay anyway.

**Sunset: **Thank you! 99 percent huh? I'm glad you like this chapter.

**Svgurl410: **Thank you! Lucky for you I'm gonna post soon. I'm so happy someone recommended you, and that you like it so much.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Are you down here by yourself?"

Lois isn't actually sure why she asked the little girl that question. She's just made a swift visual sweep of the kitchen and the child is indeed down here by herself.

"Uh huh, Uncle Ollie went to the bathroom," Jo'an confirms before putting a plate in the sink. She's decided to get a start on the kitchen at human speed; then when her mother leaves, she can speed up.

Lois frowns. She just passed the bathroom and had assumed Clark was its occupant.

"So, where's Clark and Bozo?" Lois asks while picking up a plate and helping herself to a little of everything. Well, everything the kid hasn't put away yet.

"Daddy's gonna kill Bobo," Jo'an answers solemnly.

Lois smirks; but then the smile drops as she realizes the child is serious. "Why's Smallville going to kill Bozo?" she asks seriously.

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, Uncle Ollie covered my ears."

"Well, what were they talking about before Oliver covered your ears?"

Jo'an sighs. "I don't think Daddy's gonna let me marry Bobo."

Lois spits out a bit of her eggs. The rest, she chokes on. "What?"

"Uncle Ollie doesn't want me to marry him either; but I still can; right Mommy?" Jo'an pauses during her cleaning so that she can get permission from her mother.

"You want to marry Bozo?"

Jo'an nods her head.

"Bozo?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are you sure?"

"Mommy!"

"What? I just don't know what you see in the kid. His shoes don't even light up," Lois jokes.

"No; but he can run really fast. Sometimes _I _can't even catch him," Jo'an whispers excitedly.

"Really?" Lois plays along. "Then you better hold on to him because I don't think there are too many guys who can run faster than you."

"I know. And don't worry; I will," Jo'an promises before starting on her cleaning again.

Lois rolls her eyes at the little girl's back. She and Smallville have their hands full. Why can't the kid be impressed by something more than a guy who's able to run faster than her? At least David was the only one in her class with light up shoes. Who knows how many boys in Jo'an's class can run fast? Hopefully she won't want to marry all of them as well or else Smallville's gonna need to pull out Mr. Kent's shotgun soon.

"Hey, I'm gonna head out."

Lois jumps at the sound of Oliver's voice; and before she's fully recovered Oliver kisses Jo'an on the cheek before walking towards the door.

"Where are _you_ going?" Lois follows after him.

"Uh, I got a business call. You're going up to Joey's school right?"

"Right," Lois confirms with a little suspicion seeping out of her tone.

"Give 'em hell from me," Oliver winks before opening the door.

"Yeah, but where are _you _going…without your car?" Lois asks while looking Over Oliver's shoulder and discovering that the only cars out front are hers and Clark's. "And how on earth did you get here anyway?"

"I uh…Bart gave me a ride."

"I saw that; but before the piggy back ride…?" Lois prompts.

"Um"-

"And don't tell me that"-

"Mommy!"

Lois jumps as Jo'an screams at the top of her lungs.

"Mommy, help me! Mooooommmmmy!"

Lois forgets all about Oliver as she runs toward the sound of the child's screams.

"Junior!" Lois calls as soon as she enters the kitchen.

No answer.

"Junior!" She yells again.

Still no answer. She's just about to have a heart attack, call the police, and maybe even wet herself when she hears a soft, "Down here, mommy."

"Under the table?" Lois yells as she ducks a little to look at the child hiding underneath. "You've been under here the whole time! Why didn't you just answer me? I called you a million times!"

"Two times," Jo'an corrects.

Lois narrows her eyes at the little girl. "What did you want?" She asks. It actually sounds a little like a pout.

"I'm scared," Jo'an whispers.

"Of what?"

"The spider." Jo'an points at a spot not too far away from her mother.

"A spider? Oh for heaven's sa-Oh my god! What the hell is that?" Lois screams while diving under the table with Jo'an.

"A spider," Jo'an answers calmly.

"Like hell it is! It's a fu-freaking puppy…with six extra legs…oh my god, and extra eyes!" Lois yells. She's in complete and utter freaked-out mode.

"You're supposed to be helping _me,_" Jo'an mutters before rolling her eyes; but she makes sure her mother doesn't see her do it, otherwise she'll be in trouble. She's sure of it. And this is really her own fault. She knows her mother's not really afraid spiders in general. But the big ones…with fur…

She knows that she should've gotten a smaller one. She _would've_ gotten a smaller spider; but she didn't really have the time to find one. She had to get her Uncle Ollie to the hospital, 'cause that's where he left his car; and still make it back in time before her mother ran into the kitchen to check on her. Only, she didn't make it in time, so she dived under the table and pretended that's where she was the whole time.

Lois moves a little. She's not gonna stay under the table and wait for the thing to come get her; but when she moves, the spider moves in the same direction; discouraging Lois from using all forms of mobility.

"It moved!" Lois whispers in a panic. "It's moving, it's moving; Ohmygod! We'regonnadie, we'regonnadie, weregonnadie."

"Mommy," Jo'an sighs patiently. "We're not going to die."

"No, you're right," Lois gulps. "We're not gonna die. I'm gonna crawl from underneath this table and…and," another gulp, "when it starts chasing me, or if it bites me, I want you to run out of the house while I've got it distracted okay?"

"Mommy,"-

"Just do it okay?"

"Don't worry Mommy," Jo'an grunts while making an attempt to crawl out from underneath the table. "I'll get the spider."

Lois grabs Jo'an by whatever part of her body she reaches first; which happens to be the child's belt loops, and yanks her to her side. It's hard for Lois to figure out if she did it on purpose or not; but Jo'an ends up tucked beneath her arms, and out of 'danger.'

"Are you crazy!"

She barely gets the words out before the spider hisses, HISSES, and charges at the both of them. "Oh my god. SMALLVILLE!"!" Lois screams before shutting her eyes. If this is the end, she doesn't want to see it. She would however, love to know why she'd just called out to Clark. Talk about embarrassing. He's not even here.

"Lois!" Clark calls as he rushes in. He analyzes the situation quickly; and just as he's about to scoop the spider up, Bart swoops in just a little bit faster and grabs the arachnid.

"Okay Lane. All's clear…Lane? You can get up now."

"I'm not finished with you yet," Clark whispers as Lois and Jo'an crawl from beneath the table.

"I still say I did you favor. You know you liked it. You should be thanking me, not trying to kill me," Bart whispers back through the corner of his mouth.

"Where is it? Is it dead?"

"No, I took it around back."-

"What! So it can breed and have little ones that become big ones!"

"And then I killed it," Bart lies. He'll just have to make a mental note to find it; and set it free somewhere else. Like Mexico. Mexico has a _lot _of that same type of spider. In fact, when he raced Jojo over there, she pointed a few of them out to him. Apparently, in the future he's gonna teach her a game that involves them. And…hey. He'd be willing to bet fifty bucks that that spider came from Mexico. And there's no doubt in his mind that Lane Junior is the reason it was here. He smiles at her, if she was ten years older; or if he was ten years younger, they'd be able to do some serious damage together.

"Hey, aren't you two supposed to be heading up to Jojo's school, and then maybe to work? and since she's suspended, I can watch her until you get back," Bart suggests. There still are some age appropriate things they can get into he supposes.

"There's no way I'm leaving my child here with you," Clark replies quickly.

"Why not? Do you have anyone else to watch her? Chloe's in the hospital, Oliver's"-

"Yeah, where is Oliver?" Lois interrupts.

"Exactly. Where is Oliver? But you don't have to wonder where I am," Bart sings. "I'm right here. Perfectly willing to watch the baby while Mommy and Daddy are off being busybodies; and for _free_."

"For free?" Lois asks.

"Yep. Free."

"I don't think so Bozo. The General always says 'never trust a man who says he'll work for free; you'll end up paying twice as much as a working man would've charged."

"I guess he's right. I was definitely gonna raid your fridge and eat everything I could get my hands on as payment."

"Wait, food? You're gonna watch her in exchange for food?"

"Yep."

"Deal."

"Lois!" Clark argues. He can't believe she just put his child in danger that way.

"Smallville, get dressed. I'm sure Tess wouldn't mind if you went to work in your boxers; but the kid's teacher would probably give you a frowny face. And speaking of the kid's teacher, you could have told me I was Junior's mother before I told the teacher I wasn't," Lois yells up at Clark as he runs up the stairs just to get away from her yapping; _and_ because she's a little bit right.

She yells a few more things before she's cut off by flashing lights.

"Are you taking pictures Bozo?...With my camera?"

"I wanted to document the moment. You guys have so many of them."

"Give me that." Lois snatches the camera from Bart, preparing to delete the pictures; but they're not half bad. Some of them are actually kinda cute….except…

"Junior, did you take these while me and Smallville were sleeping?" Lois asks. Her voice is very icy, but covered with a very thin layer of sugar, as if she's trying to lure Jo'an into a false sense of security.

Jo'an looks at the picture saved into the camera and sighs.

_Bobo! _she scolds him to herself.

"See, I know it wasn't me 'cause I was asleep; and it wasn't Smallville 'cause why?"

Jo'an glances at Bart. He's twiddling his thumbs nervously; and since she doesn't want her Bobo to die…

"I took the pictures Mommy. I thought you would like them."

"Well, I don't. It's…they're…"-

"Lois, are you _sure_ about this? He's a big kid," Clark yells down from the top of the stairs.

"She'll be fine," Lois answers, grateful for the distraction. "Bozo won't let anything happen to her. Will you?" She nearly growls.

"No ma'am."

"Jo'an I want you to call me all the time; and especially if there's an emergency," Clark demands while fiddling with his tie.

"But"-

"I mean it, I gave you your cell back yesterday," Clark cuts her off. "I want at least twenty calls from you. No excuses."

Lois walks up to Clark and fixes his tie for him without thinking about it. The last time she did that, he was on his way to getting his high school diploma. That was four years ago; and though he's sort of gotten the hang of it, he's still really slow; and they've got to go. Now.

"But Ms. Robinson took my phone. She said I can't have it back until one of my parents picks me up from school," Jo'an answers after tilting her head a little to the side so that her mom's not in the way so much and she can see her father better.

"Use Bart's," Clark says. He too, has to tilt his head a little so that he can see Jo'an better.

"Really Kent? You gave her the phone back?" Lois asks with a roll of her eyes and a not so gentle yank of his tie before heading toward the door.

Clark fixes his tie back and gives the back of Lois's head an eye roll before following after her.

It makes Bart snort in amusement; which makes Jo'an roll her eyes and shake her head…until she realizes they forgot something; something important.

"Wait! Mommy, Daddy, don't I get a hug and kiss before you go?" Jo'an calls after them

Both Clark and Lois stop mid-step and quickly make their way back inside.

Lois is first. She bends down, closes her eyes and lets the child kiss her goodbye as well as wish her good luck on getting her Pulitzer. Lois smiles back, remembering that the first time the kid said that to her, she retorted by saying, "I hope you don't get suspended."

Apparently, she'd been right about that part.

Clark drops a kiss on Jo'an's forehead after giving her a tight squeeze; then he walks away.

"Uh, Daddy?"

"Yes," Clark frowns at Jo'an. She's looking nervous again. He hates to see her like that.

"Do you think maybe I can have a _real_ kiss this time? You know like when I give Mommy a kiss?"

"Awww!" Bart croons.

Clark is pretty sure the young man is being sarcastic; but he could care less. On the inside, he's 'awwwing' for real. And he's happy, and excited, but he's not gonna cry 'cause he's a man…and because Bart is right there.

He bends over, just as Lois had done previously, and lets his daughter kiss him goodbye.

Lois hunks the horn, apparently they're carpooling today.

"Be good Jo'an," Clark tells his daughter before tapping her on the nose and hurrying off to get into the car with Lois. She's only on her fourth hunk but still…

"Ready to go to China now?" Bart asks once Lois drives off.

"You owe me bigger than China Bobo."

"Come on, what can be bigger than China?"

"Atlantis."

"Atlantis?"

"Our next adventure at home," she replies while bobbing her head up and down a few times. "We were gonna go look for it."

Bart thinks that over for a millisecond before saying, "Alright. Atlantis it is!"

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Saturday, September 4th.


	33. Chapter 33

**Nightwing 509, wizziewoo123, Jeremy Shane, s01itaire90 and karrtoonmonkey c im am a dragon, and lilbit4: **Thank you!

**Iluvaqt: **Definitely wrapped twice around his finger. Lol.

**Cathy: **Lol. I just couldn't see Lois calling him Bobo or Bart. She just met him.

**JUJUChick16: **I know, wouldn't it be cute if Jo'an went back a little further and met a six year old Bart. They would've had so much fun together.

**Katlynne: **lol. I hope you didn't _literally _fall out of you chair. As far as the chapters, I honestly don't know. I want to say about six, but who knows.

**iheartBL: **Lol. Lara is so damn cute! Poor Olivia wants powers like her cousin. And the fact that she didn't need Lois's 'jeans'…It's 1:30am and I'm trying not to disturb the sleeping household, so I nearly blew my brains out trying not to laugh out loud. You should make another one. I'm thinking a boy should poke Olivia with a stick, so that Lara can take care of her cousin. Lol.

**Madlenita: **probably not. Sorry.

**1eclecticreader: **Agreed, Jo'an has it bad. Poor kid. What's she gonna do when Bart gets a girlfriend? Lol. I should totally give him a girlfriend for Jo'an to scare away.

**Ezra: **I'm glad you like the story. I'm sorry you don't like the posting of the reviews; but I don't do it to mess up the word count. I swear. I do it for people like you; people who either don't have an account or who aren't logged in. It's the only way I can reply to them; and since I don't like to leave anybody out, I include the others as well. Also; it makes it easier for me because people are less likely to ask the same questions over and over again if I post the answer to one reviewer for everyone to see.

If you feel the need to report me; and they delete my account or whatever; I can't say that I'll be mad at you though. Actually, I'll probably be a little relieved because I'm sorta getting tired of writing this story. I just keep on because it'd be unfair to everyone if I stopped.

**Wtchcool: **Lol. Literally. No, Bart definitely cannot breathe under water. Don't worry, I _did_ think of that

**Alice Blu: **Lol. That's really a small dilemma…Says who you have to have only one favorite?;) I've got like 4.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Hey! I rebuke that…it might but just a slightly ginormous obsession. Lol. I love how everyone seemed to get a kick out of the spider scene. Then again. I liked it too.

**LunrRain: **You too? I hardly ever think 'Bart' anymore. Lol. The Bobo thing is really a bigger hit than I thought it would be. I'm glad everyone likes it.

Uh, 22 days until what? It's not something illegal is it, 'cause if it is, I'm so telling. He he. God, I'm weird. But seriously, what's gonna happen in 22 days?

**xXx-Lyra-xXx: **Lol. Last night I just made a comment about being tired of writing this story; so don't worry. I can definitely understand if you're tired of reading it. I didn't take it the wrong way. You should probably stop reading it until it's complete. I know if I could, I surely would;)

**crazylikeafox: **Thanks! I'm so glad everyone seems to like Jo'an; and the way she interacts with the other characters.

**Sunset: **Thanks! It was definitely because you requested it; so I'm glad you think it worked out fine.

I think you made my head swell just a little with your review. Definitely blushing though.

Dear god; the ants in his pants story. I nearly forgot about that one. I think a lot of people want me to do a sequel; but I don't know…maybe…if they really want it, I can probably be guilted into doing it;)

**MegasaurasRex101: **WOW! Thank you! I don't know how many times I've said it; but I really don't know how you guys are able to read this whole thing in a day!

And it makes perfect sense. Cira's the shit. I adored her so much; and I'm amazed you think Jo'an is even in the same league. Like I said, I read that story about eight or nine months ago and I still remember her. So…

Lol. He was a buttmunch in season 8 wasn't he?

**IceQueen825: **Lol. I have no idea if that's how she would've acted either; but I needed her to do it 'cause I was teasing my mom. Her fear of spiders is so huge, when faced with a really big one she loses all of her maternal instincts and will leave us there with it. I'm not afraid of 'em, so I usually end up getting rid of it.

**Nequam-tenshi: **Aquaman?

**Cathy03: **Thank you! Glad you were able to catch up; and welcome back!

**Fitz Darcy: **sorry!

**Sleepytime: **big trouble indeed

**Cloisfinally123: **Lots of good questions. No offense taken;) I do have that part planned already. Sorry being real brief 'cause I gotta _lot _to catch up on, but that doesn't mean you're not important;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"We have to clean the kitchen," Jo'an nearly rolls her eyes at Bart. He was really about to take off and look for Atlantis without cleaning up this huge mess first? Talk about getting killed.

"Kent, we can clean it when we get back. It'll just take a second. Not _even_ a second actually."

"Right, so let's just do it now. Come on," she commands while tugging a little roughly on his arm.

He stumbles a little; which is odd for him because stumbling means he's been taken by surprise; which means he didn't see something coming; and he always sees things coming…Except for when it has anything to do with Kent Junior apparently. She's strong _and_ fast; so yeah, she nearly makes him fall; but then she rights him immediately and stands him in front of the sink. That was a little weird too. A kid unbalancing him, then balancing him back; but whatever…

He was wrong about the mess though; between the both of them it takes _less_ than a second to clean the kitchen. Like, less than a millisecond.

"Okay, now Atlantis," Jo'an grins.

"Hold on Kent, I just remembered something."

"Something like what?" she pouts. She's definitely ready to go now; and he's seriously depriving her of pure happiness.

"Something like…I don't know; maybe an eight legged creature I had to put in the barn because a certain Kent sped over to Mexico to get it so that a certain Lane could scare the crap out of her mommy. Nice one by the way, but next time"-

"I wasn't trying to scare Mommy just _cause _Bobo. I was just making a _distraction_ so I could get Uncle Ollie away 'cause Mommy was asking him too many hard questions about you guys. _You _taught me how to do that," She answers. Her tone clearly implying that it's his own fault that she did what she did; so if she was in trouble, or if he had any plans on tattling, he should think twice about it.

"Really?" Bart inquires.

Jo'an nods her head.

"Really" Bart asks again, and the look on his face makes Jo'an wrinkle her eyebrows in confusion.

Bart Allen is usually a clown; joking around a lot and hardly ever taking anything serious. Even this whole 'daughter from the future' thing is something he's made light of…

But he thought Jo'an had just played a trick on her mother; and he thought it was a good one. He would have never thought in a million years that she was actually protecting him and Oliver; and now he suddenly finds himself feeling like a proud papa. No, he's not the child's parent. Not even close; but he taught her something _useful_, and important, and slightly mandatory to not only hers, but everyone on the team's survival…and she just used it…well… Awesome!

"So, what else did I teach ya," he asks while hopping up onto the kitchen counter to have a seat. He can't help it. He's curious about their future now. What kind of stuff do they do together? Well, besides the racing. It's more than obvious that the racing is a huge thing between them 'cause she's always challenging him to one; and to Mexico more often than not; which happens to be one of his favorite places in the world. He's sure that she knows that too; and the thought brings a smile to his face; but there's gotta be something else; something more if he taught her how to _distract _people. He must have a slight hand in her training. That's assuming she's being trained. Personally, he can't imagine Lane Senior allowing the child to engage in superhero activities until she hits twelve at least; but he can also imagine he's taught her a thing her two behind her mother's back. That definitely sounds like something he would do.

"Bobo!"

"What?" he jumps a little.

"Can we go now? Please"

"Okay." Bart gives her an uncharacteristically dejected sigh.

"Fine," Jo'an relents; giving him an exasperated sigh of her own. She can never stand by and let Bobo be sad. It's not right.

"When I run past people, I should always try to run behind them if I can. Always pay attention to where I'm going. Don't look down just because I _know_ where I'm going; even if I've been there a million times and I _know _I can get there with my eyes closed, because there can always be a '_deer'_ in the road." Jo'an puts up quotations around the word deer, making Bart smile. He must've given her this speech a million times judging by the way she's rattling off the list as if…well; he's given her the speech a million times. "If I can, always stop in a _very _crowded place 'cause there's a good chance people won't notice me do it 'cause they're busy; But if I can't, always circle the spot where I'm gonna stop before I do because you never know when somebody's hiding or watching; that means check for cameras too. And…" Jo'an pauses and sighs; not because she ran out of breathe, and definitely not because she can't remember any more; but because the list goes on and on, and she'd rather not have to say it all or else they'd be there until her parents got home. "Can I stop now?"

Bart grins. He taught her all of that? _He _did? She knows this stuff because _he _taught her. It might not mean anything to anyone else _but_ him; but it makes him feel…good. Very good.

"There's more?" Bart asks. "How much more? A lot more? Or just like one or two more things more?"

Jo'an doesn't answer; just gives him a pleading look that just begs him to take her to find Atlantis.

"Okay," Bart gives in. "Let's go."

"Yes! Now you gotta call A.C."

"What? Why? I thought it was just going to be me and you."

"So he can breathe for you," Jo'an answers as if she's saying 'duh!' instead.

"So he…can…_breathe_…for me?"

"Yeah, under water."

"Wha…wha…"

"You can't breathe under the water by yourself. You taught me that too," Jo'an tells him as if he's testing her.

"But…but… _A.C_? Why can't you do it?"

"'cause"-

"Never mind. Forget I said that. And uh, don't tell your mommy I said that; or your daddy, or Oliver…or"-

"Bobo, I won't tell _nobody_, now can you please call A.C so we can go?"

"Uh, I was…back at home…you know, in your time and all, I was uh…_okay_… with letting A.C…did A.C. ever breathe for me…you know, under the water?" Bart stumbles.

"You didn't ask him yet. You asked Aunt Kara first but she said no and then she said try A.C. but you never asked him."

"Gee I wonder why," Bart mutters under his breath; but despite the tone, he can't help but to be happy…and relieved.

"So you can ask him now," Jo'an insists; purposely ignoring his sarcasm.

Bart kneels down in front of Jo'an and takes both of her hands in his. She snatches them back and crosses them over her chest. She just knows he's about to deliver bad news.

Bart sighs. He feels sorry for the kid. He shouldn't have promised her Atlantis, He should have thought about the fact that he can't breathe under water before he said yes; but thinking about things ahead of time is not how he got the code name 'impulse'; it's not how he lives his life.

"Jojo, I'm sorry, but we can't go to Atlantis."

"You didn't even try," she pouts. "You didn't even ask him."

"Jo," Bart pauses there and scratches his head. He's not exactly sure _how_ to explain to her the reason he's uncomfortable about _asking_ A.C. to breathe for him; let alone actually doing it. Heck, he's not even sure _he _should be the one to tell her as it sort of feels like one of those 'where do babies come from?' moments. Definitely the parents' job; but they're not here, and he can't just have a crabby Lane here all day.

He takes a deep breath. If Oliver were here, he'd say what Bart is about to tell the little girl would be put into the 'liking her too much' category; but he's not here; and though Bart is aware that if Oliver ever finds out he's a dead man, he really doesn't see another way around this.

"Jojo," Bart says before taking her hands again. She doesn't snatch them away this time; but he can tell that she wants to. "I don't want A.C, to go. And I don't want Kara or Oliver or your parents to go either. I just want it to be me and you…like our other adventures," he finishes on a hunch. He doesn't know for sure if it was just the two of them on all their adventures; but it seemed right.

Despite herself, Jo'an's pout begins to disappear and is soon replaced by a smile.

"Okay," she agrees. Bobo's better than Atlantis anyway.

"Okay," Bart grins. He had to stop himself from yelling 'Yes!' and doing his happy dance. That would be a very insensitive 'thank you' to give a girl who's just agreed to give up Atlantis for him.

Still, he can't believe that actually worked; that it was that easy; and he makes a mental note to himself to kick any other guy's ass who tries to manipulate her the way he did whether his intentions are honorable or not.

"China?" he inquires.

"China _and _Africa" Jo'an grins back. At least today wasn't gonna be a total loss.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

"Ladies first."

Lois glares over at Clark. He was either just being polite or trying to annoy her. Either way, it annoyed her. She's not having the best morning.

First, they shouldn't have carpooled today. Any other day it wouldn't have been a problem. Smallville would've said something retarded and she'd have to tell him he's retarded; and from there they'd just go back and forth until they got to where they were going.

She didn't think today would be any different despite the way their morning went. After all, she did tease him about his state of alertness, and she made light of all the other things, so they should've been fine. But _nooo,_ Clark didn't say anything during the whole ride to the school; and that made her uncomfortable; and a little angry with him. He knows just how much she hates uncomfortable silences.

And with a silent Clark in the car, Lois kinda felt that maybe _he_ felt awkward around _her_, so she began replaying the events of the morning in her head.

They weren't pretty. The waking up on top of him part was bad, a lot worse than she originally thought now that she had the time and utter silence to think back on it. And the spider thing. Dear god what was she thinking; crawling under the table and screaming his name? How embarrassing!

Second, coming to the school without talking to the teacher first wasn't such a bright idea. They couldn't just barge into the classroom and start yelling at the woman…she was teaching.

And even if they were rude enough to do that….or let's just say, even if Clark was rude enough to let Lois do that, they still needed to go to the administrative office and sign in as visitors first; which took forever and then five extra minutes because Lois left her license at home by accident; or she thought she did, but Clark found it in the car.

Some things did seem to go right for them though. One being the teacher just got back to her classroom after pawning the children off to the P.E. instructors and has a little time to meet with them. Two, Clark attended this school when he was young; and because nothing's changed since then, they didn't get lost on the way to the classroom.

"Ah, Mr. Kent. Ms. Lane. I was beginning to think you would never come and see me."

Lois looks over at Clark and frowns. Before they could open the door to the classroom, the teacher has done it for them and is now inviting them in as if this is her home and not a classroom.

The woman really needs a life.

"Just take a seat anywhere….except here," the woman adds quickly before sitting down when she sees Lois eyeing _her _chair; and not one of the children's'.

"Actually we won't be here long. We just want to-where the hell do you think _you're_ going?" Lois snaps when Clark abruptly begins heading toward the door. He looks up from his phone just long enough to tell her that he'll meet her at the planet.

It's not until he leaves that she actually remembers he has no way of getting anywhere because they carpooled; but he _just _left. How far could he have possibly have gotten she thinks to herself just before rushing toward the door.

When she opens it, she nearly shuts it; afraid she's hallucinating; and she's really too sane to be hallucinating.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N:** I'm really sorry guys. I know you're about ready to hang me; but my laptop was broken. How? I have no freakin' idea whatsoever. I think I would've had it fixed faster if I sent it off to be fixed; but my step dad did it for free. So…

For those of you who sent me messages inquiring about my health; I 'm fine. And really touched that you were concerned.

Also, I might've joked about going on a mini two week vacation; but it seems to be becoming a reality. Though it won't really be an actual vacation; but a business trip. I'll be leaving on the 14th. I'm gonna try my hardest to still post; but I can't promise anything.

I'm gonna try for Monday the 13th as my next post day.


	34. Chapter 34

**JUJUChick: **Thank you! I'm going to Miami so…

**Jeremy Shane: **Thanks!

**Nequam-Tenshi: **Maybe

**Laughter's tears: **Lol. That was all my fault. I'd just watched Kick Ass and fell in love with Hitgirl. She was awesome!

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I think she knew; but just didn't care. Atlantis was more important than that.

**Elemaria91: **Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Definitely not offended. OMG, I laughed so hard at the image of you shouting "Bobo!" at your TV screen. Granted, I have no idea of how you look; but I pictured it anyway. I couldn't help it!

**Karrtoonmonkey: **No problem.

**Iluvaqt: ** Yeah, I figured he couldn't be a goof ball _all _the time.

**Cathy03: **Lol. I can understand why you're mad at him; but he's a busy guy.

**iheartBL: **Thank you! And I really hope you're considering the sequel.

**Sunset: **Lol. That's the whole chapter!

**Alice Blue: **Thank you! I'm glad the pace isn't bothering you!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Junior, what the hell are you doing here?" Lois hisses.

"Bobo made me come; and then he traded me with Daddy," the child pouts. It's more than obvious that she's just as unhappy as Lois is.

Lois looks up and down the hallway, searching for Bozo and Smallville.

"They already left," Jo'an confirms what Lois can already see for herself and steps into the classroom. It should've been an easy thing to do; but Lois is standing in the way so Jo'an has to squeeze by her.

"Wait a minute," Lois pulls her arm a little. "Where did they go?"

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders.

"Well they had to tell you something!"

"Daddy just said you'd take good care of me," Jo'an shrugs again.

Lois pinches the bridge of her nose. What the hell does that mean? How's she supposed to take "good care" of a child when she's supposed to be going to work? She can't just bring the kid to The Daily Planet! That'd be-

She nearly jumps as her phone vibrates, startling the crap out of her.

It's a text message from Smallville telling her he's sorry and that he'll pick Jo'an up as soon as he's done.

As soon as he's done? When will that be? And what is he doing? Lois thinks to herself as she dials his number. He's gonna have to explain himself a little better than that! And yes, she _is _used to his disappearances; and normally she just shrugs her shoulders because he's weird like that; but he can't just dump the kid on her and go off to play with his buddy.

But there's no answer. She calls again…still no answer. She sends him a text message; a real pretty one that's just gonna stop his heart when he reads it.

"Ms. Lane. I have to pick up my class in nine minutes, so if you could please…"

Lois turns around slowly, cringing at both the sound of the woman's voice and the look of satisfaction on her face. Nine minutes? Why couldn't she say ten like a normal person?

She's gonna kill Smallville for leaving her alone with this woman. She's gonna kill him dead; then she's gonna resuscitate him, and then kill him again. And she'll keep doing it until she feels better. Whenever that'll be.

"Hello Jo'an," the teacher says while rising out of her seat and approaching the little girl.

Jo'an murmurs a hello to her teacher and wraps her arm around one of Lois's thigh, nearly hiding herself completely from the woman.

The fact that she's just been shunned by the child has no affect on the teacher whatsoever. She's used to it. Children usually become shy little angels around their parents.

"Ms. Lane, I understand you and Mr. Kent have busy lives," Ms. Robinson starts off; and what grates on Lois's nerves is the fact that the teacher doesn't sound like she understands at all. In fact, it feels like whatever the woman is about to say next is gonna piss her off. "But Jo'an is suspended. You can't just bring her to class and beg me to watch her because you don't have a sitter."

_Beg?_

"Look, I did not come up here to _beg_ you for a damn thing. I can take care of her myself. I just wanted you to know that the next time some kid lays a hand on her _thirty two_ times while under your supervision"-

"Thirty two times?" Ms. Robinson interrupts skeptically. "Ms. Lane, you should know better than to take a six year old's words at face value," she chuckles. "Thirty two times can easily mean _three_ times," she explains as if Lois is one of her students.

Lois clenches her teeth together. Normally, she'd agree with the teacher. When she was about Jo'an's age, thirty minutes could easily be either three hours or five minutes depending on the circumstances; but the kid could count…and keep count. The teacher should know that. She _was _there the first time Jo'an helped her with her workout. The child was able to keep up with the sets of sit ups better than Lois was.

And besides, three times was still too many times for the little brat to hit Jo'an in Lois's book.

"I can count!" Jo'an comes from behind her mother just a little to defend herself. She _can _count. And she's not lying. Tyson really did hit her thirty two times. "I told you every time but you said you can't punish him for something you didn't see him do."

"Now Jo'an, you know that I asked your classmates as well. None of them saw him do it. There was nothing I could do."

If Lois wasn't so pissed right now, she'd think it was kinda cute the way the kid just mocked the teacher. With her index finger up and wiggling around; and her little head bouncing from side to side as she fakes reprimanding herself; she could teach the teacher a thing or two about how to successfully scold a child.

But Lois _is _pissed; and so that wasn't cute to her at all. Jo'an told her teacher _every_ time the little toad hit her and the woman didn't do anything about it? Thirty two times, the child went up to the teacher and said 'hey, this little twerp just hit me' and the woman didn't do anything?

She's gonna kill her.

Jo'an recognizes the 'I'm gonna kill 'em' look right away; it was always her job to make sure her mother never follows through…except when she's about to kill her Uncle Oliver or someone like that 'cause she usually stops on her own. Well, except for that one time just the other day when she almost killed her Uncle Ollie for real.

"Mommy stop! You can't kill my teacher," Jo'an shouts while putting herself in between Ms. Robinson and her mother.

Lois is so close to yelling 'Why not' but the teacher answers the little girl first.

"Jo'an dear," she states while putting an arm around the child's shoulder; "Your mother's not going to _kill_ me. There's no need to worry. Isn't that right Ms. Lane?"

One, the teacher doesn't know her well enough to say whether or not she'd kill her; although she _is _right. Lois wouldn't kill her. Kick her ass; definitely, but she wouldn't _kill_ her.

Two, she needs to get her hand off the kid. Now. The sight is ticking her off even more.

"No," Jo'an says before shrugging the teacher's arm off her shoulder. "Mommy _was _going to kill you."

_Smart kid. _

Lois nearly smiles down at the kid who is now tugging her arm, and pulling her toward the door. She doesn't blame her for wanting to get outta there ASAP; but she still has a thing or two to tell the teacher.

"Just hold on a second Junior, I'm almost done," Lois says before she tugs Jo'an to a stop and faces the teacher. She can hear the child groan behind her and then a whispered, "What are you going to do _now_?"

"Just go wait outside the classroom," Lois says; but Jo'an doesn't move. She's not stupid.

"Junior!" Lois hisses.

"Mommy!" Jo'an hisses back before crossing her arms over her chest and jutting one hip out to the side.

Lois blinks at her. She recognizes that stance as one of her own; and basically the kid is telling her that there's no way in hell she's gonna leave her alone with the teacher.

Once Lois accepts the fact that the kid's not going anywhere, she scowls at her. Why does she have to be so stubborn anyway? Why can't she be more like Smallville?

"If you'll excuse me Ms. Lane, it's time for me to pick up my class now."

"Just a second," Lois says before grabbing the woman's upper arm as she tried to walk past her.

Ms. Robinson's eyes widen in shock. "Unhand me this instant," she commands.

Lois ignores her. It's not like she's hurting the woman too bad. She's more than sure she won't leave any marks.

"If that kid hits _my_ kid one more time _Ms. Robinson_, I'll be up here to see you again; and I won't bring my conscious _or_ her father," Lois says sweetly through a very authentic smile; leaving the teacher with the impression that nothing would make Lois happier than to do just that.

"Are you _threatening_ me?"

"I could go with the whole 'it's not a threat, it's a promise…_thing_;" Lois explains without losing her smile; "but I don't know. It's too much of a cliché. Don't you think?"

"I'm going to report this"-

"To who?" Lois interrupts. "No one can do anything because they didn't _see_ me do this. Isn't that what you just said? You couldn't do anything to the other kid because you didn't see him do it?"

"I also said," Ms. Robinson grunts as she tries unsuccessfully to pry Lois's fingers from her arm. "That I asked the other students," another grunt; "but no one saw what happened"

"No one saw _this _happen either," Lois states. Then she sees the teacher looking at Jo'an; the only witness she has to speak on her behalf. She can't be serious. Doesn't she understand how karma works at all? "Junior did I do anything mean to your teacher?" Lois asks while staring the woman straight in the eyes.

"No ma'am," Jo'an answers promptly. Lois smiles in the woman's face as if to say 'that's my girl'.

"Did I _say _anything mean to your teacher?" Lois continues.

"No Mommy, but can we go now? This is _boring_."

Lois raises her eyebrows at the woman. Hopefully she understands how this should work from now on. Kid hits Jo'an. Kid gets punished. Or teacher gets punished. It's as simple as that.

"You think this is boring," Lois says before releasing the teacher and turning to leave. "How much fun do you think you'll have while I'm working?"

"Working? I'm going to The Daily Planet with you? Yes!" Jo'an exclaims before jumping up and down a few times and launching herself into her mother's arms.

Lois groans while adjusting the child a little and making her arm a seat for the kid to rest her rear on. What is she getting herself into?

Jo'an bends down to whisper something in Lois's ear eliciting a finger snap from her. Lois knew she was forgetting something. She turns back around and takes a few steps toward the teacher, who in turn takes a step back.

"The kid wants her phone back," Lois says while holding her hand out.

That's another reason she's gonna kill Smallville when she sees him. Who gives a six year old a phone to take to school the day after the teacher comes over and tells them they're forbidden?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

I am so, _so _sorry guys. I tried my hardest, but I didn't realize how swamped I was going to be, or tired. I go home on the 28th. I swear I'll start posting my regular every four days again. Sorry again.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: **Really sorry. Short replies from me. Please don't take offense. Not being rude; just really _really _busy. I swear.

**Jeremy Shane, Fitz Darcy, 4evrclois, alias4747, LooneyTLuna, LadyShinkukaze, and c im am a dragn: **Thanks!

**Wtchcool: **Lol. Thank you. It was a fun lesson; wasn't it?

**IheartBL: **I'm trying. Lol.

**JUJUChick16: **Thank you: and trying to find time for fun is actually harder than I thought it would be.

**Framework4: **Lois was just trying to make a point; I think you missed it; as well as the fact that this story is fiction. You know, with the superspeed and superhearing and x-ray vision and stuff;)

**Alice Blu: **agreed

**Nequam-Tenshi: **lol

**JamesTKent: **lol. Can you say "pressure". Hope you're not disappointed

**crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Thank you. I'm trying my hardest; but it really is an "all work; no play" type of deal.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"More rules?" Jo'an drags the word "rules" out as long as she can without irritating her mother. She has so many new rules to keep up with already; why is her mommy making up _more_?

"It's easy Junior," Lois says before turning the car off and watching the kid via the rear view mirror. She's not even going to set foot into the Daily Planet until her little monster understands the new rules completely. "Just repeat after me. Lo-is."

"Mommy," Jo'an starts to complain. She doesn't _want _to call her mommy Lois. She's _not _going to call her mommy Lois. Not ever.

"No, not 'Mommy'; _Lois_."

"But whyyyy-yuh?"

Lois sighs. She doesn't know why she's even bothering. The kid is so damn stubborn and so much like her, it's ridiculous; but she can't just have a child calling her mommy all day at work. Especially a child that looks exactly like Smallville. She just can't imagine...she doesn't _want_ to imagine the hell she'd catch for it.

"Because, I just..." Lois stops and takes a deep breath. She can't believe what she's about to do.

"Please," Lois turns around and gives Jo'an not _one _of her most sincere and pathetic puppy dog pleading looks; but _thee _most sincere and pathetic puppy dog pleading look she's ever given a single soul to date. "Please, Junior can you do _Mommy_ this one little favor pleeease?"

Lois maintains eye contact with the child until she sees the child's resolve begin to wane.

She's going to hell. Begging is something that she never does 'cause it's beneath her; but manipulating the child this way...She's going to hell. No doubt about it.

"Fine," Jo'an finally agrees. "I won't call you mommy in _there_." She crosses her arms over her chest and nods her head toward the building.

Lois wishes she could be happy about that; but she's not deaf. She heard the "in _there_" part of Jo'an's reluctant agreement; meaning before and after they set foot in and out of that building she's "Mommy"; no matter who's around to hear it.

And Lois isn't blind either. The kid is definitely unhappy and probably hurt. She's not proud of herself for hurting a kid.

"Anything else?" Jo'an asks with an arched eyebrow.

On second thought...

"Yeah," Lois says as she climbs out of the car and opens the door for Jo'an. "Try to act more like Smallville and nothing like me."

Jo'an wrinkles her eyebrows at her mother. One, she can undo the booster buckle herself. And two..."How does Daddy act?"

"Safe," Lois answers shortly while pulling her hand out of Jo'an's. The child grabbed it as soon as she got out of the car.

"Boring," Jo'an counters before grabbing her mother's hand again. She doesn't seem to care that her mommy doesn't want to hold her hand. As far as Jo'an is concerned, Lois doesn't have a choice.

Lois stops and faces the child. She gives up. Really she does; and then to show she's surrendered she closes her fingers over the child's hand. This has got to be the fourth time she's snatched her hand away from the little monster only to have the child grab it back immediately. The kid is quick, she'll give her that.

"Just try not to be a pain in my ass okay? Do you think you can do that?"

"But I'm never a pain in your ass Mommy," Jo'an replies sweetly, leaving Lois with no doubt in her mind that the kid knows _exactly_ what she's doing.

"I told you to act more like Smallville and less like me," Lois counters with a disapproving frown.

"No, you said "try to act more like Smallville and _nothing _like me"," Jo'an counters back. She realizes that she's maybe pushing her mommy's buttons just a little too hard, but at the same time she just can't seem to help it. Besides, it's not like her mommy isn't irritating her just as much as she's irritating her at the moment.

"Whatever," Lois mumbles. She's decided to give the kid a freebee since she manipulated the crap out of her before. "Just don't say ass. Smallville doesn't say ass...or any other curse words. Use words like butt, darn, and...and I don't know, fudge-monkey or something."

Interesting. At home, her mommy won't even consider letting her use bad words even though _she _uses them all the time. Now, it doesn't seem like she minds all that much; well accept for now 'cause she's gotta act like her daddy. Which is gonna be boring 'cause her daddy doesn't do anything "bad" on purpose. He's a goody-two-shoes.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Goody-two-shoes are boring.

Jo'an knew it would be boring; but she didn't know it would be _BORING_. She'd rather be at school with Ms. Robinson and Tyson right now. That's how bored she is. She's been sitting in her father's chair for the better part of half an hour. That's it. Just sitting there. She tried to color but that got boring sooo fast because her mommy only has black pens and she she's not allowed out of the chair, so she couldn't just get up and find another color.

She tried turning in her seat for a little while 'cause it has wheels on the bottom; but her mommy told her to stop because the squeaking sound was getting on her nerves. Then she told her she was just like Smallville; which was kinda confusing because that's who her mommy told her to act like.

So she did it again. If that's what her daddy does, and she's supposed to act like her daddy...

But then her mommy told her if she did it again she was gonna kill her, so she stopped. But only because she figured her daddy would've stopped after her mommy said something like that, and not because she was scared.

"Psst."

Lois clenches her jaw. She hates being psst at.

"Psssst!"

"What?" she hisses back at the little girl. Lois realizes she's being psst at because the kid can't call her mommy; so she's decided not to call her anything at all.

"I have to use the bathroom," Jo'an hisses back.

"Can't you hold it until I'm done with this?"

"You don't have to come too," Jo'an rolls her eyes "I know where the bathroom is."

Lois doesn't see the eye roll, she's too busy typing up her story; but she does hear the tone in the child's voice and it irritates her. She needs a break from her.

"Fine. You have..." Lois glances at her wrist; making Jo'an roll her eyes again. There isn't even a watch there. "Five minutes; starting now," Lois concludes.

Jo'an gets up and is gone before Lois tells her the amount of time she has. It's not like she's gonna need all that time anyway. She doesn't really have to use the bathroom.

Five minutes and two seconds later, Lois begins to wonder where the kid is. It doesn't take that long to use the bathroom.

Thirty seconds later Lois stops typing. She's been glancing behind herself so often she's beginning to suffer from whiplash.

Twenty eight seconds later makes Jo'an a whole minute late; and leaves Lois either pissed off or worried sick. She's not sure which yet.

Two seconds later Jo'an appears in front of Lois. She's not alone; but Lois doesn't even acknowledge the lady holding Jo'an's hand. Her sole focus is on the kid...who's munching on a double dipped chocolate chip cookie; and Lois suddenly realizes she's not _worried _about the kid. She's pissed.

"Where the hell have you been? There are no cookies in the bathroom!"

"Now Lois, is that any way to talk to a child?"

Lois shudders. Visibly. She hates that voice.

"Tess," Lois forces a smile; but she doesn't say anything else. She doesn't need to. The tone in her voice speaks clearly for itself.

"Should I find it odd that Clark would trust you with his child's safety? I mean, really," Tess arches an eyebrow for dramatic effect. "Letting a small child like this wander around the Daily Planet _alone_," she tsks. "Somebody could have stolen her."

"Nobody was gonna steal me Mercy," Jo'an interjects before rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

Tess freezes. No one ever calls her Mercy besides Oliver; and now she's starting to feel guilty about what she's done.

"I thought I told you to act more like your father and less like your mother," Lois hisses; causing Jo'an's eyes to widen to bug-like proportions in order to keep from rolling them. Rolling her eyes is something her mother does; and since she's not supposed to act like her...

"And who is her mother," Tess asks. She doesn't care. Nor does she expect an answer. She just wants to cover up the shocked expression she'd been displaying ever since the child called her Mercy. She's not known for being easily rattled.

"I don't know, Clark's ex-girlfriend, Lana; I guess," Lois answers quickly. She didn't mean to. She'd been caught by surprise. She hates being caught by surprise. She's liable to say anything and the outcome's never good. Like now; she's gone way too far this time and she doesn't need to see the way the kid's jaw just dropped to figure it out.

Tess doesn't notice anything's wrong between Lois and Jo'an. She's already on her way back to her office. She shouldn't have done that. Just by looking at the child she could tell she was Clark's. She didn't _need_ proof; and then she gave the child a cookie for it. A cookie! Who gives a kid a cookie after her tummy just got done hurting?

A monster; that's who. And Tess mercer is not a monster. She wants to save the world. Monsters don't save the world.


	36. Chapter 36

**Evilredknight: ** You're almost right. Don't worry, I've got everything planned. Glad you're still enjoying yourself though.

**Phnxfyr1: **Well, here it is. Enjoy!

**Bubbly minx: **I'll see what I can do.

**Anonymous: **Thanks!

**Nequam-Tenshi: **agreed

**IceQueen825: **Definitely bad of Lois

**Wtchcool: **I know right? Who'd want to act like Clark for a day?

**JUJUChick16: **She should, but I just couldn't see her doing it.

**Jeremy Shane: **Thanks!

**Madlenita: **Glad you think so

**iheartBL: **Thank you! No need to be sad anymore. I'm back now.

**Clois16: **Thanks ppms= please post more soon?

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Hey Mary, Lol. Despite suffering from laziness, I hope you do well in school, and I'm glad you were able to picture Jo'an in the chair. That part was funny to me too.

**LooneyTLuna: **I'm so happy you're still laughing and enjoying this. Hope you like this chapter as well.\

**Twylyte: **Thanks. I'll try.

**Lostieamyethyst: **Aww, sorry about the Lana stuff. She's always in my stories; glad you finally decided to take a look.

**Emeralphoenixx5191: **Wow thanks! There might be repercussions;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Junior."

Nothing. Lois has been randomly calling out the child's name for the better part of an hour; maybe even an hour and a half.

The kid won't answer. In fact, she won't even look Lois's way…hasn't looked her way since Tess left the two of them alone together; hasn't said a word since then either. She didn't even finish her cookie. She threw it away. _Her _kid threw away an almost whole double dipped chocolate chip cookie…that's just _unnatural_ behavior.

Then the child sat down in her father's chair quietly and behaved the way Lois would've liked her for her to behave when they first arrived.

Not, now though. Now she wants the kid to talk to her. She'd do anything. She's _tried _everything; offering the kid a trip to the ice cream parlor, a full day at crater lake tomorrow, permission to play hookie instead of going back to school on Friday; she even threw in Disney World…nothing. No response, not even a shrug of the shoulders.

Just twenty more seconds of the most unbearable and cruelest silent treatment Lois has ever had to endure, she decides it's time to go home. Yes it's early; but she really can't focus on the story she's been writing.

"Come on, let's go home," She sighs and begins to gather her things.

To Lois's surprise, Jo'an gets up immediately. She expected her to ignore her completely; but then Jo'an walks ahead of her, quickly; gets in the elevator, and before Lois can get to her the door closes, meaning she has to wait for the next one. She clenches her teeth together. Not so much out of anger, but out of pure frustration. She's ninety-nine percent sure the child pressed the "close door" button.

When Lois gets to her car, Jo'an is already waiting at the back door; and even though the child has her back toward her, Lois can see the exact moment the kid realizes she's behind her. She stands upright, rigid and stiff before placing a hand on the handle, waiting for Lois to unlock the door.

Once the door is unlocked, Jo'an gets into the car, buckles herself in, and has her door shut by the time Lois even sits down; and she did it at human speed too.

"Junior, I'm sorry. Okay?" Lois apologizes once she's buckled in.

Jo'an rolls her eyes at the window because she absolutely refuses to look at the woman in the driver's seat. She doesn't care if she says she's sorry. She's too upset for "sorrys".

Lois starts the car after a few seconds. It's more than obvious that the kid's really not going to talk to her, let alone forgive her anytime soon.

She drives for about twenty minutes before she tries again.

No answer.

She looks at the child via the rear view mirror, hoping she didn't answer because she's asleep.

She's not. She's wide awake, and still staring out the window.

"Junior, I'm"-

"Leave me alone _Lois,_" Jo'an sneers nastily. She's not looking at the woman, but she can still see the way Lois's whole body stiffened when she used her real name instead of calling her mommy. She's probably in trouble for that, but Jo'an doesn't care. It's what she wanted right? She asked her over and over to call her Lois. She got her wish.

But Lois doesn't yell at her like Jo'an expected her to. She doesn't say anything, just sniffs a little and starts talking to herself about allergies and Shelby's dog hair.

Jo'an realizes that Lois is lying about the allergies, and that she's hurt; but she still doesn't care. She's disappointed in her mommy, like she'd been let down really bad. And she's mad. Really mad.

Before going into the Daily Planet, Jo'an would've sworn not only on her life, but on Bobo's and her whole family's lives that she was _never _going to call her mother Lois; and right now they'd all be dead because of her…if that's the way swearing on someone's life worked.

She also thought she'd have fun at the Daily Planet. She usually does. Her mommy always let's her help out with the stories, and she usually gets to sit in her lap until her mother's legs get numb, then they would go out to lunch. Sometimes, but not a lot, Jo'an's mother would let her carry her to somewhere far for lunch. Jo'an misses doing that. It's fun; carrying her mother around.

But she wasn't with her mother. She was with Lois. And Lois was no fun; making her sit still for minutes at a time. Jo'an Lane Kent is_ not_ suited for staying still. So she went to the bathroom. She didn't have to go, and she only felt a little bad for lying to her mother about it.

For about a minute she wondered around the building, noticing that some stuff is a lot different; and making it a game to find all the different things she could.

That's when she bumped into Tess Mercer. Literally. Lucky, she was just walking normal, or she could've really hurt the woman.

At first Tess looked like she was mad at her, but then she looked at her really hard; and then she smiled. Jo'an smiled back. She hadn't seen Mercy in ages; and she was about a second away from saying it when Tess asked her if she was by any chance related to Clark Kent.

Jo'an's mood soured a little as she answered with a nod of her head. She'd been so excited to see Mercy at first, but she'd been reminded that the woman doesn't know her yet.

"Hmm," Tess commented with a small smirk; then she slowly began to walk back to her office. She didn't say anything about Jo'an following, but Tess made it more than obvious that she wanted her to; and since it seemed to be expected of her, Jo'an grabbed Mercy's hand and went with her. It's not like she had anything better to do than to sit down in her daddy's chair anyway; and it's not like her mommy was even gonna notice she was gone. She hadn't been paying attention to her the whole time they'd been there. Only when she did something to annoy her; so she _really_ didn't feel bad about going.

And even though her mommy doesn't _like _Tess too much, she happens to be Jo'an's secret best friend. They share everything together. _Everything_. Mercy doesn't believe in secrets and lies, only when they're necessary; and between the two of them, they aren't necessary; so when her mommy won't tell her something because she's too young to know, she usually sneaks off to see Mercy. If Mercy knows the answer, she tells Jo'an. Like the time her mommy and Aunt Chloe told her about Davis. She had a whole lot of questions; but her mommy said that she knew enough already and she wouldn't tell her anything else. So, she went to Mercy. She'd been more than glad to help. She told her sooo much more than her mother and Aunt did; _and _she showed her what Davis Bloom looked like when he did not look like the monster in her nightmares. She said her mother could've at least done that much. That if Jo'an knew that the monster didn't _always _look like a monster it would help her out a lot; and it did. Davis didn't look as scary as the monster did.

It was so good to talk to her secret friend again. She had fun; way more fun than she had with _this_ mommy. The only bad part about going with Mercy was when she pulled the green rock out to show her; the same rock that hurt her when she was in her daddy's loft. Mercy asked her if she thought it was neat; but Jo'an couldn't answer because her stomach was hurting too bad. She wasn't as close to the rock as she was during her first encounter with it, so she didn't fall down.

"Are you okay," Tess asked once she realized the child was bent over in pain. Jo'an told her  
"no" and that the rock hurts her really bad. Tess put it away immediately and apologized. Jo'an forgave her instantly. It's not like she _knew_ the rock was going to hurt her. _Jo'an_ didn't even know the rock could hurt her until just a few days ago. And there's just no way Mercy would ever hurt her on purpose so…

Tess apologized a few more times before offering Jo'an a cookie and promising to remember about the rock forever. It was really more than the child could ask for in an apology; a 'promise not to do it again' and sweets. Chocolate sweets.

She devoured the cookie in all of twenty three seconds; and had to wipe at her face because there must've been crumbs or something on it. Mercy was staring at her like there was anyway; but there wasn't, and so she asked Tess why she was staring at her.

When Mercy told Jo'an that she was just wondering when her birthday was, the child smiled because it was almost her birthday, and she was wondering if Mercy was going to get her a present. Mercy gives the _best _presents, as they're usually things she's not allowed to have. Like last year, she got six puppies…'cause she turned six. They we're so much fun. "Were" being the operative word because Jo'an wasn't allowed to keep them. They are not allowed to have them at home; and her mommy's allergic, which is why they live in an apartment that doesn't allow pets.

If she wasn't so sad about the puppies leaving, she would've been entertained by how mad her mommy was. She was _really_ mad at Mercy, and she kept using grown up words; all kinds of them, some Jo'an hadn't even heard of before but knew she shouldn't ever repeat them…around other people anyway.

The puppies are at Mercy's house. She hardly ever gets to see them, because she hardly ever gets to go over to Mercy's. She used to sneak over to see them, but when she came back, her mother always knew where she'd been and she'd get into trouble. She only gets to go to Mercy's when there's an emergency; and it's got to be a really big one.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Tess smiled down at the child, but Jo'an could tell that Mercy was a little sad.

"No, I do. It's March 19th" Jo'an answered brightly.

"Really," Tess gasped, "That's really soon," she exclaimed, making Jo'an frown and cock her head to the side.

"You're using a baby voice," she said simply. It was weird, Mercy never uses a baby voice with anyone, not even her.

Tess chuckled at the child. "Alright," she answered a lot more grown up-y. "How about now?"

"Much better," Jo'an grinned back.

"So March huh? Of what year?" Tess asked before offering the child another cookie.

Jo'an took the cookie slowly, but she was even slower at answering. Nearly ten seconds went by before Tess told her she that if she didn't know then…

And that was when Jo'an interrupted with an indignant "I know what year I was born!"

At that Tess raised her eyebrows; not because she'd just been yelled at by a child; but because the child knew what year she was born but was hesitant to say so intrigued her.

"You just can't tell anybody," Jo'an decided to tell her a few seconds later. Mercy's her secret best friend. They share everything; and even though Mercy doesn't know that they're friends, she still trusts her. And why not? Everyone else is almost the same; Bobo, Uncle Ollie, Aunt Chloe, even her mother…to a certain degree.

"Cross my heart," Tess promised.

"2011."

"But it's 2009," Tess rebuttals, just to be sure.

"I'm from the future," Jo'an confirms before telling Tess that her daddy left her with his "friend" to be babysat, and that she was probably looking for her now. So Mercy gave her one more cookie and brought her out to her mommy.

Only this lady; _this_ Lois is not her real mommy. Her real Mommy would never deny her, or tell someone that _Lana_ is her mother. Her mommy loves her too much. This mommy, even though she's nicer than before, doesn't love her like her other mommy. She really misses her mommy, and she misses Pepper, and Mr. and Mrs. Gold, and her old room, and her old house. She misses her old life.

"We're home," Lois announces.

Jo'an blinks. She hadn't realized that they were pulling onto the Kent property. Coincidently, she was just thinking about home. Her real home; and how bad she wants to go.

She gets out of the car, quickly, while her mother's still gathering her things and leans into her side through the window. She's still little, so she has to stand on her tippy toes.

When Lois turns to open the door, she's face to face with the child. She's totally caught off guard and her mouth goes dry. The kid is staring straight into her eyes unflinchingly; it's such a fierce gaze, Lois can't help but to be a _little _nervous and afraid.

"I hate you," Jo'an whispers. "And I want to go home."

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **So I'm officially back from Miami, I had two days off during the whole trip; and I only went to the beach once; which is really sad as it wasn't even five minutes away. Hope you enjoy this. There should be about five or six chapters left… I hope.

Next post _should_ be Thursday, October 7th. That's if I don't have another computer malfunction.


	37. Chapter 37

**Karrtoonmonkey: **Thanks!

**Hot chocolate, Roza angel: **No problem.

**Clois16: **thank you, she told Tess Lana's her mother.

**Jeremy Shane, batgirl2992, eternal density, JUJUChick16:** Thanks!

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I know but Clark's still there, and susceptible to kryptonite. Thank you. Of course she will, eventually.

**IceQueen825: **thanks! I think. I don't have any idea of what your last sentence means, but I'm hoping it's a good thing. It probably isn't; but oh well;)

**IheartBL: **thanks! I kinda had fun…a little. Lol. The Lois-Tess-Jo'an scene was fun. I'm glad you liked it.

**Karen: **Lol. I'm really glad you said "most people" cause I'm definitely not like normal people, and I am odd. To tell you the truth, I've never read a comic book in all 23 years of my whole entire life. And I barely remember the superman movies. In fact I can only recall two scenes. A bar fight in which Clark got his butt kicked because he'd given up his powers for Lois; and the bar fight at the end where he got his powers back. I don't even know which movie that was.

And I didn't even _want _to watch Smallville, but my brother begged me for years, literally, until I did it; and I've been hooked ever since.

**Nequam-tenshi: **Connor?

**B. Davis: **Lol. You can make it! I hope you enjoy this.

**LooneyTLuna: **Lol. What is with you people and putting that kind of pressure me. I'm gonna develop some kind of performance anxiety soon. Lol. Hope you enjoy this.

**Gigga: ** of course you are, I would be too;)

**Genobeast: **maybe just a little.

**Sunset: **I probably lied. It's probably just wishful thinking because I said it like two chapters ago. I'll finish when I finish; but it is almost over.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

When Clark finally makes it to the Daily Planet to pick up his daughter, he's not ready for her; and by "her" he's not referring to Jo'an. He's referring to Lois. She left him a very graphic text; one that was impossibly affective for being no more than twenty words long.

He's sorry he had to leave her with Jo'an suddenly, but he didn't have a choice. Winslow Schott, the man responsible for the explosion during Oliver's meeting has escaped from jail. No one knows how; but it's more than obvious he had help. Then, to top it all off, he set a hundred toy bombs around the country; all of them in a child's bedroom. Most of the children were in school; but there were a few who were too young to start.

Winslow contacted Oliver; let him know where each one was going to be just seconds before they went off in order to give him a head start. It was a game to him.

It was a two man job; Clark and Bart. It may have been a six hour task, but it went over smoothly. Bart's faster than Clark, but he isn't invulnerable. Easy solution; Bart grabs the bombs, hands them to Clark, Clark gets rid of them.

They only had two or three close calls, but out of a hundred…it could have been a lot worse.

When they were done, Winslow congratulated Oliver, commended him on a job well done, and promised him the next game would be a whole lot more fun. There was no doubt in their minds that Winslow meant it would only be more fun for him; and so much harder for them.

And now Clark's worried. There's a good chance that "task" was not just a game; but some kind of test. Why else would he set up so many bombs so far apart and only give them seconds to get to them. Oliver can't move that fast.

Clark looks around the Daily Planet, but they aren't here. He asks Hank Freeman, a coworker who's head over heels and over the moon, in love with Lois. Everyone knows it; that is, everyone except Lois.

Hank tells Clark that Lois went home already; which makes Clark frown. It's early. Hopefully everything is alright.

But it's not.

When he gets home, and opens the door he can hear them crying. Both of them; well, Lois probably "has something in her eye", or "Shelby's fur is on her clothes."

He goes upstairs and pauses. They're in separate rooms. Jo'an is in his parents' room, Lois is in his room.

_What on earth is going on? _He wonders to himself.

He goes into his room first and pauses in the door way. Lois is in her pajamas already; and she's lying in his bed. No big deal right? She's slept in his bed a million and two times already.

Her pajamas consist of a shirt and that's it; one of his shirts in fact. No big deal right? She's used his shirts as pajamas a million and two times including last night.

So…what's the big deal?

"Um, Lois?"

Lois sits up with an "I'm _not_ crying," and wipes her eyes.

Clark smiles at her. He didn't say she was; but he's very careful to make sure the smile isn't patronizing. The fact of the matter is that she _is _crying. It wouldn't be right to tease her.

"I know," he answers before sitting down next to her. "I let Shelby sleep in here sometimes since you share Mom's room with Jo'an now. It must be your allergies" he lies while staring out into the hallway.

"Must be," she agrees quietly before laying back down.

Clark puts a reassuring hand on what he thought would be her back; but she's turned over and so his hand is on her stomach. He moves it quickly, knowing she's gonna yell at him; but she doesn't. She has her arm slung over her eyes and she's still sniffling a little.

"Lois?"

"Hmm?"

"If you go into my mom's room with Jo'an, your allergies might stop acting up," Clark suggests, subtly implying she and Jo'an should probably deal with whatever's going on together.

Lois bites her lip before answering about twenty seconds later. "The door's locked."

'The door's locked? So what? You're more than capable of picking locks.'

That's what he wants to say; but he just asks her "Why?" instead.

No answer.

Gently, Clark pulls Lois's arm away from her face.

"Why did Jo'an lock the door?" he asks her again.

Lois closes her eyes. She doesn't want to look at Smallville. He looks just like the kid. And the kid hates her.

"Lois?"

"She hates me," Lois sighs before pulling her arm out of Clark's grasp and covering her eyes again.

"Did she say that?" Clark asks disbelievingly. There's no way Jo'an hates Lois. They probably just had another silly argument and Lois just _thinks _the child doesn't like her.

"Yes Smallville, she said it," Lois raises her voice a little irritably.

Clark stares down at her. He can't think of anything Lois could've done to make Jo'an tell her _that_. If it weren't for the fact that the child seems immune to all of Lois's sarcastic and tough love ways, he'd say it was a disciplinary thing.

"Why did she say she hates you?" he asks her.

No answer; and this time he doesn't push her. Instead he gets up and heads toward his parents' room, shutting his bedroom door behind him.

Lois is right about the door being locked; but that doesn't stop him. The only reason he hesitates is because he's going to have to get a new doorknob after this. He's never been good at locks like Lois and Chloe. It must be a Lane thing.

"Jo'an?" Clark calls as he enters the room.

No answer. But she's definitely here, in bed.

Clark shuts the door behind himself and approaches his daughter. He pauses at the foot of the bed and stares at her. Like Lois, she's lying on her back with her arm slung over her eyes.

"I'm not crying," she sniffs.

Clark has to fight back a laugh. He does pretty well and ends up smiling instead. No, there's nothing funny about little girls crying; but she is so much like Lois. It's almost disconcerting; but it's a little more amusing at times. Like now.

Clark gets into bed beside Jo'an and slings his arm over his eyes. He's decided to take a different approach with Jo'an. Déjà vu is already beginning to set in and he has a feeling the conversation can go pretty much the same way it had when he'd talked to Lois if he approaches it the same way; and he really doesn't feel like going back and forth between his wife and child…er his Lois and…er…he doesn't feel like going back and forth between Lois and Jo'an. He'd rather just nip this in the bud right here.

"What are you doing?" Jo'an asks suspiciously. Clark can hear her remove her arm from her face, but he keeps his in place.

"I'm moping with you," he answers with a tone that suggests his actions are more than obvious.

"I'm not moping! You're the moper. Mommy says so!"

Clark lifts his arm off his eyes and raises a brow at Jo'an.

"Oh, well then I guess it's just Shelby's fur then right?...oh wait, you don't have any allergies….I know! You've got a cold!" Clark exclaims with a snap of his fingers. "But…oh wait; you _can't _catch a cold…hmmm. Then it must be….you've got something stuck in your eyes?" Clark asks. "Oh wait, you"-

"Okaaay-yuh! I was crying, sheesh Daddy, were ya ever gonna stop?"

"Probably not," Clark smirks before laying his arm across his eyes again and waiting for Jo'an to address him. It doesn't take long. Ten seconds later Jo'an pats Clark on the arms.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to go home."

Clark's chest tightens. He knows how to get her back; has known for a couple days now. He plans on sending her back, just not so soon. He wants more time with her.

"Can you come with me?"

He can't help but to feel a little better. She wants to leave; but she still wants to be with him.

"Daddy?" Jo'an shakes Clark's arm, vying for his attention.

"No, Jo'an," Clark answers softly. "I can't go with you."

He wishes to god he could.

"Please," Jo'an begs before laying her head down on his chest.

"Do you want to go home because you hate Lois now?" Clark asks, trying to get her to tell him more about the fight so that he can fix it; and so that she'll _want_ to stay.

Jo'an waits a while before answering with a very soft, "she doesn't like me either."

"Of course she likes you," Clark supplies.

"No she doesn't," Jo'an sniffs.

Clark begins to rub her back, offering comfort to the troubled child.

"She's always mad at me, and she never wants me to be by her, and she doesn't like me to call her mommy, and she told Mercy that Lana's my mommy," Jo'an finishes, saving the final straw for last.

Clark can understand Lois's actions. He even expects them; but Lana? Why would she say Lana's Jo'an's mother. Sure, it makes the most sense as he and Lana'd been on and off again for years; and she did go off to Paris for a while that one year; but he doubts that's what Lois was thinking when she mentioned Lana. Does this mean Lois still thinks he should be with Lana? Or does she think that he's still going to end up with her?

He doesn't know why he's a little upset by that. Even _he_ still entertains thoughts of being with Lana; admittedly a whole lot less than he used to; but he can't deny that he's entertained a lot of thoughts of himself being with Lois. Not just him and Lois either; but Jo'an too. He's getting used to the three of them being together. And it always makes him smile when Jo'an says "mommy" and "daddy" in the same sentence; and he and Lois answer their child together. But he keeps the smile on the inside; because he's not so sure of what Lois thinks about that.

"Some of Shelby's fur is still in Mommy's eyes. You should get it out," Jo'an announces suddenly, interrupting Clark's happy thoughts.

"There's no fur in Mommy's eyes Jo'an," Clark answers, understanding that Jo'an is telling him Lois is still crying; and that she wants him to go cheer her up. "You made her cry," Clark adds bluntly; but he keeps rubbing her back to keep the sting out of his words.

Jo'an sits up with a sigh. "I didn't mean to make her cry."

"Well, go say you're sorry, and then I'll send you home," Clark says casually; but secretly he has his fingers crossed behind his back hoping for…

"But I don't want to go yet Daddy," Jo'an pleads.

_Yes!_

"Okay; but you still gotta say you're sorry," Clark tells her before dropping a kiss onto her forehead.

"Okay," she agrees before hoping out of bed and heading towards Clark's bedroom.

Clark gets up and follows her. He's going to hell for manipulating his child like that. He's sure of it.

He makes it to his bedroom just in time to see Jo'an climb into bed with Lois. Her arm is still slung over her eyes, and she's still sniffling.

"Go away Smallville," she mumbles; but Jo'an isn't Smallville, she's Junior; so she keeps going. She climbs on top of Lois and braces her elbows on either side of the woman's head, while resting her chin in the palms of her hands and looking down at her mother.

"Junior?" Lois frowns before moving her arm around her face and staring up at the little girl. "What are you doing?"

"I'm moping with you," She answers seriously.

"I am _not_ moping. Smallville's the moper. Lanes don't mope," Lois supplies stubbornly

Jo'an raises her eyebrows at Lois; just as her father had done to her just minutes before.

"Lanes don't cry either," Jo'an says simply.

"I wasn't crying," Lois sniffs.

Jo'an smirks down at her mother. She'd just told her daddy that too.

"I wasn't," Lois insist at the knowing look on the child's face. "It's my allergies. Your daddy's been letting that fur ball sleep in his bed."

"Well Lanes don't let doggie fur make their eyes water either," Jo'an answers seriously before wiping Lois's eyes with her finger and then resting her chin in her palms again. "Okay mommy?"

"Okay," Lois agrees with a nod of her head.

"I don't hate you," Jo'an whispers before lying down against her mother's chest and closing her eyes. And when she falls asleep, Lois doesn't make any complaints about the kid's hair being too hot. Not one.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post should be Monday October 11th.


	38. Chapter 38

**Gladius Grim: ** Thank you, I hope you enjoy this chapter then.

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I hope he does too.

**IceQueen825: **Oh thanks, I'll have to check it out. I actually do love reading Clois stories even though it probably seems like I don't.

**Fitz Darcy: **Lol. Here it is

**Geno beast, Jeremy Shane, karrtoonmonkey, and gigga: **thanks!

**iheartBL: **Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it; and Lol, I know what you mean.

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. Thanks! Though I wasn't really trying to make anyone cry;)

**Katlynne: **don't worry about it; and thank you!

**Alicecullenforever101: **Thank you! I'm so happy you like Jo'an!

**Liv marie: **lol. Uber is one of my favorite words in the whole world. Thanks!

**Hot chocolate: ** Thank you! figured you guys would like that.

**Clois love: **Thanks! Hope you like this one as well.

**Nequam-tenshi: **Oh, thank you for explaining that to me.

**JUJUChick16, and Michael the arhangel: **Thank you, lol. I can't tell you will totally destroy the surprise.

**Cathy: **Thanks! I'm glad everyone likes how Clark handled the Lanes.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"She's not _letting _go," Clark repeats just so that he can make sure he's heard Lois right.

As soon as Jo'an fed the "I'm moping with you" line to Lois, he'd left the two alone for some much needed make up/bonding time.

Walking down the hallway, he began to whistle a very upbeat tune; then he jogged down the stairs with a huge grin on his face. His daughter was approaching her mother the same exact way he'd approached her. For some reason that made him giddy as hell; well, not giddy. Giddy's not for men. And Clark Kent is a man. So he was happy; just happy.

He fixed dinner; purposely blocking out his girls…_the_ girls upstairs. He didn't want to be intrusive. And should Lois and Jo'an break down and start blubbering sobby apologies to one another, he didn't want to hear it. His girls don't like to cry; and for someone to see them cry is actually pretty rare; especially Lois. He doubts they'd appreciate being eaves dropped on.

When he went back upstairs to tell Lois dinner was done, Jo'an had fallen asleep on top of her; so Lois said she couldn't move because "the kid isn't letting go".

"That's what I said Smallville. She's not letting go."

"Well did you try"-

"I've tried everything," Lois interrupts. "I can't get her off of me."

Clark makes his way toward the pair of them. He's a bit concerned. Jo'an is pretty strong. If she's got Lois pinned down in such a way that she can't move then he needs to help her out immediately and as inconspicuously as he can. Upon examining the mother/daughter pair, he nearly smiles. It doesn't _look _like Jo'an is holding on to Lois too tightly at all. In fact, it looks more like _Lois _isn't letting go of Jo'an; but rather than call her out on it, he shrugs his shoulder, mutters a noncommittal "hmm" and heads back down the stairs.

When he comes back up, he's got a huge plate of food; easily big enough for three or four people. Lois's eyes are closed so she doesn't see it at first, but he knows how to fix that.

He sits down next to her; his back pressed against the headboard and waits for it. He barely has to wait a millisecond before Lois's nose twitches. Then, said twitch evolves into a full out sniff; which multiplies into a series of sniffs before…

"What's that?"

"Dinner," Clark replies casually before taking a huge bite of the stringiest, cheesiest Macaroni Lois Joanne Lane has ever laid eyes on.

"Where's mine?" She swallows; her mouth has already started watering as if she hasn't eaten in days.

"There's no more," Clark answers vaguely before stuffing his face with more macaroni.

"No more?"

"This is it," he gestures toward the plate.

Lois narrows her eyes into dangerous slits. "What do you mean 'this is it'?"

"I mean," he takes a bite of the most golden brown fried chicken. "Jo'an is asleep already. _She_ doesn't need dinner," He supplies logically. "And since you're _stuck_, I figured you wouldn't mind if I ate your portion too."

"You. Wouldn't. Dare," Lois dares; but it's really a threat; which Clark's immune to. He shrugs and takes another bite.

"If you can somehow get Jo'an to let go of you; I'll gladly give you your portion; but since she won't let go of you…" Clark trails off, letting Lois know she has one of two choices. Either she admits she was lying and untangle herself from the sleeping child; or, let her pride keep her from admitting _she_ is the one not willing to let go; which means no dinner. Knowing Lois, she's not gonna wanna admit Clark's right; so he stares at her, curiously waiting to see what she'll do.

"Just gimme some," is her answer.

Interesting.

Clark raises his eyebrow in amusement before asking, "How?"

Of course, he _knows _how. He just wants to make sure Lois really knows what she's asking him to do. Okay, he's lying to himself. He knows Lois knows what she's asking him to do. He just wants her to say it out loud.

"Just put some food on the fork, and put the fork in my mouth," she commands.

Clark smirks down at her. She'd really rather have him feed her than to admit she was lying? That's how far she'll go just to make sure he doesn't win? It makes him curious about just how much further she'd be willing _to_ go?

"I don't think you should eat while lying on your back Lois," he patronizes. "You might choke."

"Might choke. I _might _choke; as opposed to you _definitely _getting choked if you don't give me some of that right now," Lois fires back so quickly it seems as if she already knew he was going to say that.

He was going to ask her how she was going to choke him with a child on her chest; but thought better of it. Lois not being willing to let go of Jo'an after a huge fight and make up session is something to be "awww'd" at; not teased about.

"What do you want first?" he asks her.

"Macaroni," she answers promptly.

Clark forks up the cheesiest part he can find on his plate. He can practically hear her salivating and he can't help himself. He'd just concluded that it isn't the time to tease her; but, he's her own personal Smallville, she's his own personal pain in the ass. It's what they do.

Opening his mouth wide, he raises the fork to his lips. She must've developed superspeed within the past few seconds because her hand is on is thigh…squeezing; and he didn't even see her move.

"Kent," she says softly. "I will kill you if you put that in your mouth."

Since Clark isn't suicidal, he redirects the fork from his mouth and tries to put it in hers; but just before clamping down on the fork, Lois moves her face, rejecting the food.

"Jesus Kent; it's hot!"

"I'm sorr"-

"No sorries Smallville; blow on it."

Clark blames Lois. It's all her fault…and her hand. The hand that's still squeezing his thigh. If it weren't for that, the words "blow on it" wouldn't have painted dirty pictures in his mind. He's sure of it.

"Smallville. Blow. Now," She commands bossily.

He was gonna tell _her _to blow it; but because the thought alone evoked more dirty images, he just did it himself. Who knows what he'd be thinking if she actually did blow it herself.

When he puts the food in Lois's mouth, he quickly forks up some for himself. He needs a distraction.

The distraction doesn't help. In fact, it nearly kills him when he chokes on it because of Lois's moaning; and not only does she moan; but her grip on his thigh gets a little tighter. _Then_, she says, "Oh god Smallville, that's so good".

_Your baby's in here. Your baby's in here. Your baby's in here. You shouldn't be having these thoughts while your baby's in here._

"Smallville!"

"What!" Clark jumps.

"Jeez; how many times were you gonna make me scream your name before answering me?"

"Scream my name?" Clark gulps as he forks up another helping for Lois.

_Your baby's in here. Your baby's in here. Your baby's in here…._

"Clark, quit screwing around and just put it in my mouth."

Clark sucks in a sharp breath. What the hell's going on with him? He knows she's talking about the food; but the things she's saying, and her hand on his thigh…

_Your baby's in here. Your baby's in here. Your baby's in here._

Clark lowers the fork to Lois's mouth; but he's so nervous that his hand is shaking and he accidently misses, dropping the food onto her chin. Without thinking about it, he uses his index finger to scoot the macaroni upward and into Lois's mouth.

He definitely should have thought about that before he did it. Because if he was using any percentage of his brain, he would've used the fork; and Lois wouldn't have accidently licked his finger.

_Your baby's right there Kent! Right there! You shouldn't be thinking about that while Jo'an is lying right there…on top of Lois…where you should be. No, no, no, no, no. you shouldn't be thinking about lying on top of Lois while your baby is in here!_

_Maybe I can move the baby to another room._

_Then it'll be just you and Lane idiot, _he chastises himself.

_But that's what I want. Just me and Lois. Without the baby. Oh, we can make the baby!_

_It's not time yet, idiot!_

_But-_

_And she'll kill you if you try that now. That's what will happen. She'll kill you dead. In fact, she's still gonna kill you for thinking about it. She knows. There's no way she doesn't know. She always knows; so she knows, and she's pretending that she doesn't. She's trying to lure you into a false sense of security and then, when you least expect it-_

"Hey Smallville, you okay? You look like you're gonna be sick," Lois unknowingly interrupts Clark's internal argument.

"What! I'm fine. Fine. Just fine. I'm gonna…I'm fine. Just gonna put the baby in another room. With me! Me _and_ the baby, not _just _the baby…Jo'an are going…_is_ going…No, _we're_ going together. So you just stay here and finish…by yourself because I'm going _with _the baby" –

Lois stared at Clark the whole time he spout off incoherent babble while snatching Jo'an up in his arms and leaving the room. He's always been a bit odd; but that was just…just…she doesn't have a word for it yet. But she's curious, and she's going to figure out what the hell that was…

After she eats.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Friday October 15th.


	39. Chapter 39

**Hot chocolate: ** Thank you! Four times? Wow! Glad you liked it that much!

**Katlynne: **Lol! You always make me laugh. I'm glad I made your day/week;)

**Clois love: **Me too. It's so much fun to write.

**IceQueen825: **Thank you! You know, there is actually a reason I give you mostly Clark's thoughts; but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway;)

**Cathy: **Thanks! I'm glad.

**Colourmehappy:** Wow really! I thought everyone liked macaroni….just kidding. People think I'm weird 'cause I don't like chocolate cake; so I'll let the macaroni slide;)

**Jeremy Shane, Geno beast, and Madlenita: **thanks!

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I know right. I figured it's already rated T. Why not?

**iheartBL: **Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much; and Lol, everyone else seemed to like the "his girls" thing.

**xxxxWilDCheryyxxxx: **Thank you! The "your baby is in here" is also my favorite line.

**Cathy03: **Lol. Thanks. And I'm glad you're caught up again!

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. Thanks! But breathe dear breathe;)

**Gladius Grim: ** Thank you, I hope you enjoy this chapter then.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Honestly, I was gonna leave a reply just for you telling you that I know you didn't comment but please don't be sorry; but I didn't know how you would take it. Lol. I should've done it. You are totally predictable; as am I. So here it is:

No need to apologize. I understand how school, work and life in general can be. Remember I'm the one who had a computer malfuntion and then spent two weeks in Miami leaving you guys with hardly no updates; so I totally understand. But I am really glad to "see" you again;)

**Maiqu: **Thanks and welcome. I hope you enjoy the rest.

**Lilbit4: **Lol. Thanks!

**Sailorgirl129: **One word. Thank you…wait that's two words…scratch that;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

_Why that lying son of a…_

Lois breaks her thoughts off just before she gets to the good part; which is actually the 'bad' part. Stupid Smallville and his constant no 'bad words' complain.

"Bitch," Lois finishes her thought aloud. She's feeling a bit rebellious. Who is he to tell her what not say anyway; and besides, he lied to her. He lied right to her face and told her there was no more food left; but when Lois went downstairs to put her food in the fridge ('cause she couldn't eat it all) she saw the leftovers neatly packed up and put away.

She's gonna get him back for that. It's only right. She just doesn't know how yet; but she's not worried about it. Smallville _is _Smallville. An opportunity will present itself; maybe before the end of the night. She's sure of it.

Quietly she makes her way upstairs; and just as quietly she enters her surrogate parents' bedroom. She doesn't feel like she has to knock because well, this is _her _room right now.

_The little weasel! _Lois thinks to herself once she sees Clark…in the middle of the bed…_pretending _to be asleep; because there's just no way he's fallen asleep that fast.

"Smallville."

No answer.

"Smallville,"she says a little louder.

He almost ignores her again; but then knowing Lois, she'll just keep calling him; so he puts his finger to his lips and shushes her.

Clark can tell Lois is incredibly close to telling him exactly what she thinks about him telling her what to do. He already knows how she feels about people, especially _him_, telling her what to do. So he opens his eyes and points down at Jo'an…who's still sleeping; her head resting comfortably in the crook of Clark's shoulder.

Lois gets it immediately. He doesn't want to wake her up.

She can understand that. She too had a moment where she just didn't want to let the kid go; she's just not going to tell Smallville that. He'll probably laugh at her; or worse…think she's cute.

It's nice though; seeing the way Clark is holding the child against himself. Like he just wants her to stay with him like that forever…or at least until the morning….when she'll wake up just because "the sun is out."

_She did not get that from me._ Lois thinks to herself with a less than amused shake of her head; and before Clark can ask her what she's shaking her head about, Lois whispers, "Put her in the middle so I can get it," before walking over to the bed.

She'll figure out something for Smallville tomorrow. She can't do anything to him while he has the kid.

Clark tries to do as Lois tells him but the second he moves, Jo'an cries out; telling her daddy "no". Clark waits a minute; thinking she's about to wake up so that he can tell her to get in the middle... but she doesn't wake. She stays asleep. He should've known she would have. Honestly, the child could sleep through an F5.

_She did not get that from me, _Clark thinks to himself as he tries to move Jo'an again.

"No Daddy, don't leave me," Jo'an sobs before clenching Clark's shirt tightly; but she's still asleep

Clark frowns guiltily at Lois. Of course this is his fault. Earlier, when she asked him if he could go 'home' with her; he shouldn't have given her a flat out no with the hopes that she'll want to stay here because she still wanted to be with him. Now she's probably thinking she's gonna wake up without him or something. He should've told her that he's never going to leave her; and then figured out another reason to make her want to stay. That's what a good father would've done right?

"Just leave her Smallville," Lois says to a still frowning Clark. But then, where is she gonna sleep? Next to Clark? That's probably not a good idea considering what happened this morning…

She could always go and sleep in Clark's bed… In Clark's room…down the hall; but it just seems so far away and…lonely. Well, it's not like she hasn't done it before…but that was _before_. She hasn't slept alone in nearly five days. It would be…it just wouldn't be right.

"Just keep your pants on this time Smallville," Lois says before climbing in beside him.

Clark's eyes widen. He wasn't expecting her to get in beside him. Between what had happened this morning and the stray thoughts he'd had just half an hour ago…

And she's not wearing any pants. Why isn't she wearing any pants?

"So," Lois starts, and Clark nearly falls out of the bed…with his baby. Okay, so Lois is in bed beside him and he's nearly gotten over the initial shock of it; but, he expected her to stay on _her_ side of the bed; and not _just _her side of the bed either. He expected her to scoot as far away from him as possible; to the point where she's nearly falling out of the bed in fact.

But she didn't; and she's not. She's propped herself up onto her elbow; and is now staring down at him.

"Are you gonna tell me what that psycho-babble was all about earlier; or am I going to have to beat it out of you? Oh, and don't ask me what I'm talking about Smallville, because I know you know what I'm talking about already. So let's just skip all the preliminaries and get to the part where you spill."

Clark almost tells her he doesn't know what she's talking about anyway; but decides against it. He can see it in her eyes. His 'pit bull on a pant leg' is not going to let this thing go; and it'll probably be better for him if she lets go as soon as possible. The more she'll ask about it, the more he'll probably think about the thoughts that led up to his 'psycho-babble' as she called it…. And his baby's in here. He shouldn't have those thoughts right now.

"Only if you tell me something first," he says seriously.

She thinks about it for a second. On one hand, she thinks _her _question should be answered first because she asked first. On the other hand, she'd get the answer to her question a lot faster this way than if she had to figure out a creative way to extract it herself; and on that same hand, this way is probably the fairest. She's asking him to tell her one of his secrets; naturally, he'd want to know one of hers in return. And since he's such an honest guy, it's probably right that she spill the beans first. There's a good chance that if he 'shows her his' first she'd back out of 'showing him hers' after having got what she wanted already. She's done it before.

"Okay, shoot," she agrees.

"Why'd you say Lana was Jo'an's mother today?"

Not only does Clark really want an answer to that; but he doesn't think Lois will answer honestly; which means he won't have to answer her question honestly either.

"Aw come on Smallville; not you too," Lois groans. "I'm sorry okay; but hers was the first name I could think of. In fact, I didn't even really think before I said it; it just came out; but it's not like I could've told Tess that I'm the kid's mother anyway…right?" Lois asks as an afterthought. She wants him to agree with her; but he can't. The fact that Lois didn't even think before naming Lana as Jo'an's mother…_bothered _him.

"Why?" he asks her.

Lois scrunches up her face before repeating the question "Why?" She was expecting his answer to be a firm "right."

"Why was Lana's the first name you could think of? Why didn't you just say you didn't know or something?"

"She's your girlfriend, right?" Lois shrugs lightly; a little _too_ lightly but Clark doesn't notice because he's frowning at the ceiling.

_Technically_, Lana _is _still his girlfriend. They didn't _officially _break up…

But he doesn't exactly feel like they're together either. He doesn't think about her as often as he…as a boyfriend should. He doesn't _miss _her yet either; granted, it's only been about three days since she left but still, Lois and Jo'an take up too much room in his mind…and if he'd be completely honest with himself for once, he'd admit to himself that he never misses Lana whenever Lois is around. He just doesn't have the time to think about her. Lois is quite a handful; and a mindful, and an earful, and…an eyeful.

He blinks rapidly. He can't believe he just did that! Since when does his x-ray vision have a mind of its own? Usually he has to concentrate to use it; but he was _not_ just concentrating on seeing through Lois's shirt. He swears on his presently here, but unborn, child's life.

_And_…she's not wearing a bra! Why isn't she wearing a bra? Sure, he can see through bras too; but maybe he would've realized what he was seeing as soon as he saw it and then he would've been able to back out; but _nooo_, she's not wearing a bra…

And she's not wearing any pants either. Jeez!

And now, she's gonna kill him; because he's having bad thoughts again; which he shouldn't have because his baby's in here.

"Okay your turn," Lois says in a normal voice that doesn't mean he's about to be murdered; but he doesn't look at her. If his vision acts up again…

"My turn for what?" he answers a bit distractedly.

"Your turn to tell me about the 'psycho-babble' Kent."

She was going to tell him that he knew what she was talking about; but she's ready to skip the merry-go-round and get to the good stuff.

"Oh uh, it was nothing," he says before closing his eyes.

She stares at him; completely shocked. Did Clark Kent really just renege on a deal he'd made with her _after _shefulfilled her end of the bargain?

"What do you mean it was nothing!" she yells.

She was going to yell a whole lot more than that but Jo'an stirs in her sleep again.

"Mommy no," she whimpers quietly before clenching Clark's shirt even tighter.

"Shhhh," Clark comforts his daughter quietly while rubbing slow circles into her back until her face relaxes.

Lois watches the moment quietly. He's really good at that. Then she notices that the child's hand hasn't relaxed any whatsoever. In fact, if it's even possible, she's sure the kid's grip just tightened on Smallville's shirt even more.

On an impulse, Lois reaches over to grab Jo'an's hand; wanting her to relax all the way, but she nearly jumps out of her skin when Clark grabs her wrist quickly; and firmly.

"The baby's in here," he whispers about three times.

She looks at him; confused because it looks like he's talking to himself; but what he's saying doesn't make since. She knows Jo'an is in here. She was about to hold the kids hand; not Clark's…

Lois's eyes widen and she gasps loudly.

"You are _such_ a pervert Kent!" she hisses fiercely. "I was gonna hold Jo'an's hand; I wasn't going to touch you!"

"I am _not_ a pervert!" he whispers back just as fiercely.

"Yes you are, you were having naughty thoughts just now…" then her eyes widen as she remembers parts of his earlier babble. "You were having naughty thoughts while you were feeding me dinner!"-

"You. Don't. Have. Any. Pants. On. And you kept touching me!"

"So it's my fault? I didn't have any naughty thoughts about you."

"I'm wearing pants!" he tells her before glancing down at her thighs; thighs that aren't wearing pants.

"You weren't this morning and I didn't have any pervert thoughts about you!" She lies.

"Just go put some on Lois! Now!"

"I don't see what the big deal is anyway. It's not like I'm gonna be wearing pants when we make her!" Lois says while pointing at the sleeping child. Then she covers her mouth. That was a mistake. She didn't mean to say that. What she meant to do was put on some pants because Smallville's right about them. She can't just walk around with no pants on and then get mad at him for acting like any other man. Well; not like any other man; any other man would've made a pass at her. And then she would've had to drop kick him.

But he's not any other man. He's Smallville. He wouldn't dare…he's a gentleman through and through; but then he told her to put some pants on…now…and she couldn't help but to rebel. She doesn't like people telling her what to do.

"Sorry," She grumbles before turning over to face the wall and closing her eyes. She's still not going to put some pants on. But he should be happy he got an apology from her. Those are rare.

Clark frowns at the back of her head. Super hearing, x-ray vision, super speed, super breathe, heat vision…they're all useless powers. He'd gladly trade them all in if he could have just one other in return; the power to listen to Lois's thoughts right now.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Tuesday October 19th.


	40. Chapter 40

**Geno beast, Maiqu, Jeremy Shane,: **Thanks!

**Katlynne: **Thanks! I didn't know about the 200th episode though. How do you think it went?

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I Know; but that was season 9;)

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! I'm glad you like the Clois moments. I know you guys probably want me to move a little faster with them but…I can't.

**Nequam-tenshi: **"should" being the operative word;)

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. You don't have anything to worry about. Sort of.

**Faithfullyfallen417: **Wow Thanks! 16 nieces and nephews? I think I'd just pass out **Sa**

**Samse: ** Wow Ap classes huh? Definitely better you than me. So far I like season ten; and I really do miss Chloe. The first episode was depressing as hell…but I still liked it.

**RonWeasleyismiking: **Aww, I'm not writing this to make you stay up 'til 5am. You're making me feel bad; but I'm also really happy you like this story so much. Lol. I tried to be as simple as I could. Not a lot of time machines and other stuff; just the ring (don't get me wrong. I do love stories with time machines and other stuff) Thank you again!

**iheartBL: **Honestly, I don't know if Bart and the others will make another appearance. I'm kinda trying to end the story; but if I add them…;let's just say the story won't be ending within the next 5 or 6 chapters like I've been saying for the past 5 or 6 chapters. Lol;)

**gigga: **Thanks! I figured you guys would like that.

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. Thanks! I liked the "You're not wearing any pants" issue Clark was having too.

**Mickeiblue: **lol. Thank you again. It seems like a long time; but getting an update once every four days isn't bad. At least it's better than having to wait until Friday to watch Smallville.

**xxxxWilDCheryyxxxx: **You're welcome. Lol. Hey, when you say "please keep this story going" are you asking me not to give up on it or not to end it? Because if you're asking me not t give up on it, you don't have anything to worry about. I may complain about this fic a lot; but I would never leave you guys hanging. That's just mean;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"But Mommy _promised _me!"

"I did promise her Smallville," Lois says after swallowing a mouthful of eggs. Clark's eggs because neither he nor Jo'an would let her cook; not that she wanted to anyway.

"Maybe we can go Saturday; when you don't have school," Clark replies absently while flipping a pancake.

The day started off pretty well. Well; a little better than yesterday morning anyway.

When he woke up, he had an arm wrapped around both Lois and Jo'an…and they were snoring. That made him smile.

He decided to stay still until they woke up; not wanting to disturb their sleep; but also, just not wanting to move. They were both pressed against him pretty tightly; their heads resting on his shoulders; and they both had a hand lying on top of his chest. When he looked down, he could see that they were holding hands. He wasn't sure who grabbed who's hand first; or if they even _knew_ they were holding hands. He just knew that the sight stirred something inside of him; and it wasn't a bad something.

He wasn't surprised when Jo'an woke up first. No one would've been. He watched her blink sleepily a couple of times before moving her hand at an attempt to rub her eyes; but she soon realized she couldn't; and then she smiled at the reason _why _she couldn't. She kept smiling and looked up at Clark; who in turn whispered a, "good morning sleepyhead," before ruffling her hair.

Jo'an didn't say anything in return. She just kept on with that smile; glanced at her still sleeping mother; and then grinned up at him.

"And what are you smiling about?" he whispered. That grin was so much like Lois's; huge and full of unmistakable mischief. Without even thinking about it, he thought about how well that 'Lois grin' Suited Jo'an.

She answered his question with a shrug of her shoulders; kissed him on the cheek; whispered a, "good morning Daddy," and got out of bed; leaving Clark alone with Lois.

He wanted to tell her to come back; but he was too afraid he'd wake Lois; and he knew she wouldn't be happy about waking up with just him and her in the bed…again.

And she wasn't. She woke up a few seconds later; but she wasn't mad about being alone with Clark. She'd taken a quick look at the clock and growled out something about him being as bad as the kid when it came to letting her sleep in peace before turning over; showing him her back. He stared at the back of her head; clearly confused. He didn't do anything to wake her up. He hadn't moved at all. She woke up on her own.

Then Jo'an came bouncing into the room; full of boundless energy. "Mommy, the sun is out!" she yelled before jumping into bed and landing on both Clark and Lois.

"I knew it," Lois whimpered.

Jo'an shook her mother; telling her to wake up until Lois let out a pleading, "_Smallville_. Make it stop."

Clark looked at Jo'an, prepared to tell her to let Lois sleep a little longer; but then Jo'an looked back at him and begged him to, "Make Mommy get up, pleeease Daddy."

"Well…uh," he started off. He kinda had a slight dilemma. He was torn between letting Lois sleep and appeasing his begging daughter.

"Please Daddy," Jo'an pouted even more pathetically than she's ever pouted for anything in her life.

"Uh," he stuttered again.

"Just forget it," Lois yawned before abruptly shooting her arm behind herself and grabbing Jo'an around her middle. Jo'an squealed, then giggled in surprise as she was pulled over the side of Lois's body; then pulled up against her mother's chest.

"Go back to sleep Junior," Lois mumbled against the child's hair before wrapping an arm and a leg around Jo'an tightly to keep her still.

"But the sun"-

"Can't you be more like me?" Lois groaned; and both Jo'an and Clark reminded her that she _is _like her.

"I mean _more _like me;" Lois yawned again. "I don't wake up because the sun is out."

"You like it when I do it at home," Jo'an mumbled against Lois's collar bone.

"I doubt it."

"You do. You said I remind you of Daddy when I do it."

Clark saw Lois stiffen; and there was no doubt in his mind that she'd been reminded of how he'll be "dead" in a few years. He moved quickly; attempting to start on some damage control by moving Jo'an away from Lois.

"Come on Jo'an. Let's go get you some breakfast; Let Lois sleep."

"Are we gonna make Mommy some breakfast too?" Jo'an asked while raising her head to look at Clark.

He was about to answer her when Lois sat up. She gave him a look he couldn't fully understand before quickly covering it up with a grin. Then she turned that grin onto Jo'an and announced that "Smallville" was going to fix breakfast for both of them. Clark frowned at her; and again he desperately wanted to know what she was thinking. But before he could find the courage to ask her, and that's _if_ he could ever find the courage to ask her, Lois grabbed Jo'an by the hand and led her out of the room; leaving Clark behind.

Before he could shake his head and get his bearings, she peeped her head back into the room. "And it better be good Smallville," she winked before leaving once again; which made him smile.

When he got downstairs, Jo'an asked Clark to make pancakes. He smiled down at her; and then over at Lois. He heard _her _ask Jo'an to ask him to make the pancakes just moments before he'd come down the stairs.

So he started making his girls some pancakes; but before he'd even finished mixing the batter, they started complaining about how hungry they were; and how loud their stomachs were growling. What else could he do besides scramble them a few eggs real quick so that they could put something in their tummies?

And now, Jo'an is begging him to take them to Crater Lake.

"I don't have school today Daddy. I'm grounded, remember?"

"Suspended," Clark retorts absently.

"Same thing," she mumbles under her breath.

"I heard that," Clark tells her.

Jo'an rolls her eyes at the back of his head. He's starting to sound like her mother. Then she turns to face her mother; silently pleading with her eyes for Lois to try to change her father's mind.

"Smallville," Lois says after seeing the look on Jo'an's face. "Please."

Clark turns slowly to face Lois. He's sure he heard her wrong. Lois does _not _say please to him.

"What did you say?"

Lois glances at Jo'an and sighs when the child raises her eyebrows at her. Since when does she take orders from a child?

She clears her throat and sets her fork down by her plate. Although she'd just cleared her throat, she clears it again before standing up and walking toward Clark.

"You're burning the pancakes," she says once she's directly in front of him. It's not what she meant to say; it's just the first thing that comes out. As soon as Clark turns to flip the pancakes, Lois looks to Jo'an who in turn makes a continuing motion with her left hand. Lois frowns back at her. The kid's a liar. There's no way she's six.

"What _else _were you saying Lois?"

Lois takes a deep breath and clamps her hands together with a loud clap; Clark recognizes the nervous gesture and frowns down at her hands.

"Look. Smallville. The thing is, I promised her Crater Lake today; and I know you were _nowhere _around when _I _made that promise; but I think it would be much better if you came with us anyway. I mean, I'll still take her of course because I _promised_ her that I would; but if you came too"-

"Lois," Clark interrupts. Now who's indulging in pyscho-babble? "Just say the magic word again and I'm there."

_The magic word?_

All of a sudden Lois has a flashback of a traumatizing TV show. There was a purple dinosaur and singing, and dancing, and manners, and magic words, which happened to be "please" and "thank you," and then there was a song at the end in which the dinosaur professed his love to small children.

"Junior's never watching that," Lois murmurs to herself.

"I don't think that's the magic word," Clarks smirks at her while putting pancakes on plates and setting one of the aforementioned plates in front of Jo'an. The other, he's still holding in his hand.

Lois ignores him and reaches for her plate; but Clark snatches it back.

"The magic word Lois."

"Oh, right. Please," Lois says immediately and it nearly costs her her plate of pancakes. She catches the plate and ignores the shocked look on his face.

Okay so she never says please to Clark; and she never lets him win if she can help it; but is it really that big of a deal that he'd almost dropped her pancakes?

"If you would've dropped these, I would've killed you," Lois says before taking her seat beside Jo'an. "So, are you coming or not?"

"Well when you say it like that…"

"Come on Daddy," Jo'an interrupts. "She said the magic word."

"She _did_ say the magic word."

"Will you two stop saying "the magic word'? It's gonna give me nightmares. Honestly, he really creeped me out."

Clark was going to ask Lois _who_ really creeped her out; but then he gets an emergency text from Oliver. It's probably another "game" with 'The Toyman'. He has to go. Now.

"I'll meet you two there. There's something I gotta do first," Clark says abruptly before snatching up his truck keys and taking about a second to figure out where to dump it.

"Where are you going?" Lois and Jo'an ask in unison. He blinks a few times. They way they're both holding a forkful of syrup soaked pancakes in midair with their left hands is so surreal he'd be willing to bet something important to him that they'd planned that.

"What?" they ask with identical frowns once they see that he's staring. Clark gives his head a mental shake. He has to get going.

"I have a few errands to run for Chloe. I should be gone for no more than two hours," he says; but hopes. You two go ahead and get a head start. There's no sense in lying around the house bored stiff just for me. I'll meet you there as soon as I can." Clark rattles off while bustling around the kitchen to pick up this and toast that. He needs to eat something too. All he had was a _bite _of macaroni last night. And though he can't exactly starve to death; he finds that he always 'performs' better when he's had something to eat.

"Please, _please _make sure she puts on some sun tanning lotion," Clark says just before his toast pops out of the toaster.

"Oh please Smallville. Don't be such a worry wart. I can take care of the kid."

Clark arches an eyebrow at Lois as he stops in between both Lois and Jo'an's chairs.

"Actually Lois, I was talking to Jo'an."

And with that, Clark stoops a little so that he's now face to face with his daughter. "I mean it Jo'an. If Lois comes home with sunburn, I'm going to hold you responsible; understood?"

"Yes sir," Jo'an nods solemnly.

And that's when Lois finds her voice. That's the only reason she didn't say anything before. She lost her voice; and could only gap at the side of Clark's head. Did he seriously just make _her_, an adult, the _kid's_ responsibility?

"Hey, I can take care of myself," Lois declares and punches Clark's shoulder. He doesn't even flinch; just mumbles out an absent minded, "of course you can," before kissing Jo'an then Lois goodbye.

It wasn't until later, like halfway through a game of 'hide and seek' Toyman style, that Clark realized he'd kissed Lois.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Lana watched Clark stare at Lois and the child. She didn't blame him. Their identical actions _were_ uncanny.

She listened to him make up some lie about having to run some errands for Chloe. She saw Lois shrug her shoulders at the child before taking another bite of pancakes Lana was sure Clark made.

And when Clark kneeled between Lois and the child; and draped his arms across the back of both of their chairs, she bit her lip. They looked like a family. Like a _happy _family.

Then he kissed them goodbye; _both _of them.

Lana watched Lois stiffen; and the child grin up at her mother.

"What are you smiling about?" Lois asked her; but the child didn't answer. She shrugged and took a sip of her milk. Then, apparently unable to hold her laughter in any louder; she let it out; along with the milk; all over the table.

"I'msorry. I'msorry. I'msorry" the child giggled as she hopped out of her chair and ran toward the steps.

"Get back here!" Lois yelled before running after her; but any person on the outside looking in, just as Lana was doing then, could see that Lois wasn't really mad.

The child let her mother catch her halfway up the steps; and begged for mercy.

Lois ignored the child's request and began to tickle her as she shouted out things like 'uncle,' 'sanctuary,' and 'I promise to love you forever if you stop'; but Lois didn't stop. Not until the child screamed that she couldn't breathe.

That was when Lana decide she'd seen enough. It pained her to see with her own eyes that she's no longer Clark's future; never had been apparently; and she was relieved she didn't actually have the nerve to approach him any longer. She realized her excuse for dropping by was ridiculous. Honestly, warning him not to do or say anything in front of his boss, Tess Mercer, that he wouldn't want Lex to see or hear as well? What was she thinking? Clark knows not to expose himself to people. He didn't even tell _her_, the girl he loved, about his secret. Why would he all of a sudden tell Tess, the new CEO of Luthorcorp?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Saturday October 23th.


	41. Chapter 41

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! Pancakes, milk, and a stalker. Lol.

**Quathis: **Thank you, I'm glad you guys like the "family time"

**Hot chocolate, Jeremy Shane, Maiqu Fitz Darcy, karrtoonmonkey, readingred, and immery: ** Thank you!

**Geno beast: **I know right?

**Faithfullyfallen417: **Thanks! The "he's looking at me" one just tickled me to death.

**LooneyTLuna:** Thanks! Lol. You're right, they really do. I can spank my goddaughter and not even 30 seconds later (literally) she's sitting in my lap like I never touched her.

**Clois love: **thanks;) but what does GTFO mean?

**Katlynne: **Lol. Sorry. When I said "I didn't know about the 200th episode, I meant I didn't know it was the 200th episode, not that I didn't know if I liked it;) It was good. I really liked it; watched it twice in fact;)

**Madlenita: **You're welcome!

**Cloismycel: **Well, welcome back! And thank you! I have to admit; I didn't know about Tess at first because I loved Michael so much; but Cassidy is the bombdiggity. I love her to death. Tess is one of my favorites.

**iheartBL: **Wow, that made your jaw drop. I'm guessing you want me to do it again don'tcha;) I'm just messing around with ya. Seriously; I'm glad you're still enjoying yourself.

**RonWeasleyismiking: **Thank you; I'm glad everyone seems to like that part and don't hink it was forced or too much too soon

**JUJUChick16: **Lol. Lana needs to go to the other side of the world and stay there. Lol again.

**Alias4747: **thank you! That actually means a lot to me;)

**Wtchcool and Samse: **Lol. The thing about Barney is…I used to watch that show all the time. I have nothing against it. My mom used to sit down with us and watch it too. Good times, good times.

**gigga: **Thanks! I know, but don't worry so much, it's just a story…sort of;)

**IceQueen825: **Thank you! So, Jo'an got there on Saturday morning and now it's Wednesday morning; just to clarify for you;)

**Lonelygirl: **wow thank you! I'm really glad you stpped by; and I'm even gladder you love this story so much..

**xxxxWilDCheryyxxxx: **Thanks! I try to update regularly.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Sesame Street. I used to love the count. I think I had a slight crush on him. I was a really weird kid.

**Nequam-tenshi: **can't say;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Crap!"

Lois looks through the beach bag a few more times before saying "crap" a couple more times. Only sometimes it starts with a "sh" and ends with and "it", and the other times it starts with an "f" and rhyms with luck, the lady who is _not _her friend right now.

"You forgot the sunscreen, didn't you?" Jo'an smirks. "Wait 'til I tell Da"-

"If you tell Smallville Junior I swear"-

"I'll go get it," Jo'an interrupts before her mother can swear on someone's life and then they end up dying.

"What are you going to do?" Lois frowns up at the child, who has just stood up and wiped the sand off of her knees. "Run back to the farm?"

That's _exactly_ what Jo'an is going to do. She just can't tell her mother that. She wishes she could. Things would be so much easier if she could; but she can't.

"I don't have to run to the farm; you left it in the car," Jo'an says while walking past Lois.

"Oh, I knew that," Lois lies; but no so good that Jo'an can't tell that it's a lie, before standing as well.

"Where are _you_ going?" Jo'an asks when she sees Lois stand up and brush the sand off of her knees.

"With you."

"I can go by myself."

Lois stops and stares at the Jo'an. What's her problem? The kid used to practically _live_ under her skirt; and now she doesn't even want to go to the car together?

"Uh, I don't think so, Junior," Lois replies.

"Why?"

Why? Because the last time she let the kid run off by herself, she came back with an evil redhead, then Lois said something stupid, and then the kid said she hated her. And _that_ had been one of the worst days she's ever had. She's just not going to tell the kid that. Not even after the child scowls up at her and declares, "I'm not a baby! The car is just right there. You can still see me, Mommy."

Lois bites her lip. She _can _see the car from here; but if something were to happen to Jo'an, how long would it take for her to get to her? Probably no longer than a fourth of a minute; but still, fifteen seconds is a very long time if one was to actually sit there and count them out.

"Mommy!"

"What," Lois jumps when Jo'an interrupts her musings.

"It's _embarrassing _if you don't let me go just right _there _by myself," Jo'an whines.

"_Embarrassing_?" Lois bristles.

She swore that if she ever got drunk enough to get pregnant (because there's no way a sober Lois would've thought having a child was a good idea) that she wouldn't ever be an "embarrassing parent"; but now that she has…now that Jo'an _is _here…there's just no way she's letting the kid go off to the car by herself; even if it _is_ just right there.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Lois says while grabbing Jo'an's hand; but only because the child looks like she's gonna bolt. "There's nobody here except for that kid right over there, and that guy way over there."

Jo'an looks over at the kid her mother pointed to and her heart sinks.

"What's _he_ doing here?" she groans. She should've picked the ice cream parlor. It wouldn't have been as much fun; but at least _he _wouldn't have been there.

"You know him," Lois frowns.

"No," Jo'an lies quickly before closing her fingers over Lois's hand and marching her toward the car. All of a sudden she doesn't mind if her mother comes along. She can always tell her the sunscreen is under the seat; then, the second she lowers her head, Jo'an can run off, get the sunscreen, and be back before her mommy realizes the sunscreen isn't there.

"Whoa, wait a minute, wait a minute," Lois says while digging her heels in the sand and firmly pulling Jo'an to a stop. "You _do _know that kid."

She has to yank the child around to face her because Jo'an is about to start marching her toward the car again.

"Is that…that's Tyler isn't it?" It has to be. Kids that age are supposed to be in school…unless they've been suspended. And then the fact that Jo'an knows him and doesn't seem to want to get near him…that's Tyler.

"No," Jo'an answers. "That's not Tyler."

And he's not Tyler; because _that_ boy's name is Tyson.

"Let's go," Lois ignores the little liar and begins to tug her toward the boy. It's actually a difficult task because it is now Jo'an's turn to dig her heels into the sand; and she's actually pretty hard to move. She must be running on pure concentrated adrenaline Lois decides.

"Okay, _okay,_ I lied," Jo'an says while trying to pull herself away from her mother without hurting her at the same time. "I hit him first…every time…'cause I liked his shoes."

Lois would laugh at the little girl had this been any other circumstance. Seriously? Jo'an's desperate enough to use _her _story just to keep her from getting to the child? But it's not funny. She doesn't want her child being afraid of bullies.

It can be funny later.

"Stop lying to me," Lois grunts before wrapping her arm around the child's middle and pulling her up so that her back is pressed against Lois's side. Normally, she carries Jo'an on her hip; but this time she figured the kid wouldn't just sit there just because she was being carried; she'd fight, and this was the easiest way to avoid all the drama.

"Mommy, just leave him alone…please."

No answer.

"What are you going to do?"

No answer.

"Mommy!"-

"Mommy?"

Lois turns around at the sound of a man's voice and a low whistle…and the guy's hand is on her shoulder.

"Do I know you?" Lois glares at him; then at his hand. She's not too fond of being touched by strangers.

"You know," the man pants. It's more than obvious he just stopped running. "I would've pegged you two as sisters. You don't look old enough to be her mother," he says as if he isn't afraid of the look Lois is giving him.

And he's not; because he's stronger than her…he's strong like Jo'an.

"Mommy, put me down."

"Yeah right," Lois all but snorts.

"I'm not gonna run away, I promise. Pinky swear."

Lois looks down at Jo'an; who is staring at the jerk; the jerk who _still_ has a hand on her shoulder. Then she frowns. The child looks completely fascinated by what she sees. It worriers her. Yes the guy is handsome despite the fact that he was already getting under her skin; but he's also so much older than Jo'an…by like fifteen years.

_First Bozo and now this Bozo? What's up with the kid being attracted to older men? _ She thinks to herself.

Tonight they're going to sit down with the kid and talk about this. Her and Smallville…like parents.

But Jo'an isn't staring at just any man. She's staring at her "Uncle Dee". He's not her uncle yet; she knows that, but at home he's married to her Aunt Kara.

And Jo'an knows it's not nice to stare, it's just she's never seen him smile so much; and the sight is fascinating. She was always kinda scared of him because he's always so serious; but now…

When she goes home, she's gonna tell him to smile a lot 'cause he has a nice smile. It makes him look different…better.

"Hi," Jo'an says once Lois reluctantly puts her down. Lois's frown deepens when Jo'an takes a bold step toward the man and gives him a grin so big Lois feels a twinge of jealousy. The kid's never smiled at_ her_ that big before.

"Hi," the guy finally takes his hand off of Lois's shoulder and extends it towards Jo'an. "You must be the infamous Jo'an Kent."

"You know my name?" Jo'an squeals so excitedly that Lois has to snatch her back for fear of the child launching herself at him...the way it looks like she's about to do.

_Jesus! Have I never taught her the phrase "stranger danger"?_

"How_ do_ you know her name?" Lois demands.

Again, Dee ignores the lethal look Lois is sending his way. "My little brother," he says while jabbing his thumb in the direction of the little boy. "The little boy you looked like you were going to kill just a second ago; he talks about her a lot. Long dark hair, green eyes, crater dimples…feisty. Personally, I think he's smitten. Can't say that I blame him, with a mother like you…" he trails off with a wink.

Jo'an ignores her mother's reply to what her uncle just said. She's staring over at Tyson now. He hasn't seen her yet.

Tyson is Uncle Dee's brother. She didn't know that. She never saw him before at home; and her uncle _never _said anything about him. Never.

"I just find it strange that you would reward suspension by bringing the kid to Crater Lake for a day of fun in the sun."

Jo'an drags her eyes away from Tyson and looks up at her mother. She doesn't want her to argue with her uncle. Not when he's smiling like that.

"Well, if he wasn't suspended he would've been playing hooky today anyway. It's his birthday and I kinda promised him Crater Lake so…" then he wrinkles his eyebrows as he thinks of something ironic. "You know, I find it strange that you would bring your kid to Crater Lake as a reward for suspension," he rebuttals.

"Well it's not _my_ kid fault that she got suspended. _My _kid didn't hit your brother thirty two times."

"Thirty two? Wow, that's subtle;" then Dee frowns down at Jo'an. "I can't believe you _let_ him hit you that many times." He says before suddenly yelling, "Tyson! Hey Tyson, get over here!" at the top of his lungs.

Jo'an watches Tyson look up from the…whatever it is he's supposed to be building in the sand; then he freezes.

"Yeah, it's her, now get over here!" Dee yells.

Tyson stands up very slowly; then he walks over even slower than he stood.

When Tyson finally makes it over to the group, Dee makes him stand in front of him and face Jo'an; only he doesn't face Jo'an, he looks down at his bare feet.

Dee lays his hands down heavily on Tyson's shoulders; causing the little boy to wince. Jo'an may not like Tyson; but she feels sorry for him; and she feels a little disappointed in her uncle. He's not supposed to use his strength to hurt people…not even people like Tyson.

"Tyson," Dee begins. "You should never ever hit a girl…no matter how irritating or beautiful you think she is"-

"I don't think she's"-

"_I _think you owe Jo'an here an apology. Now," Dee cuts his little brother off.

Tyson mumbles, "sorry," before lowering his head to watch his feet again.

"What do ya say Jo'an," Dee asks. "Do you think you can forgive him?"

Jo'an is just about to tell him yes when Lois bends down and whispers something in her ear. Jo'an looks up at her mother with a questioning frown; and Lois answers with a raise of her eyebrow and a nod of her head.

Jo'an sighs heavily before abruptly pushing Tyson down onto the ground.

"Mommy says we're even now," She tells her uncle.

"Hardly," Dee grins at both Lois and Jo'an. "Didn't he hit you thirty two times? I say you got thirty one more to go before you're even," he jokes.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Wednesday October 27th.


	42. Chapter 42

**Mickeiblue: **lol. Thank you! Remember Lois is 23. I'm not saying there's no such thing at a good 23 year old parent; but she just met Jo'an not even a week ago. She'll catch on…

**Evilredknight: **Lol. I don't believe in voodoo.

**Quathis: **Thank you, she really does have a hard time admitting it doesn't she? And I'm glad you laughed a lot;)

**Geno beast, Nightwing509, Jeremy Shane,: **Thank you!

**Nequam-tenshi: **Yep

**Bloodymary2: **I know. Tyson had to get it somewhere. Why not his older brother?;)

**Madlenita, NaomiBlue : **maybe;)

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Elmo andEric. Not bad;) I'm glad you enjoyed the Tyson/Tyler thing.

**Wtchcool: **Thanks! And he _is_ an OC so don't stress yourself;)

**Hunter, xxxxWilDCheryyxxxx and Clois fan: **He's just an OC. Don't worry yourself sick thinking he's someone you should know but can't remember;)

**Faithfullyfallen417: **Lol. I'll bet. But those kids were morons. People like that irritate the crap outta me.

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! Lol. If you were telling me everything you liked bout that chapter, I hope you know that you basically pointed out _everything_ that was in that chapter;)

**Second storey stairwell: **Aww, but thank you. I'm so sorry it irritates you to wait; but I really don't think I'll be able to do it more often than this. I will admit that I'm flattered you like the story so much;)

**gigga: **I know; but I'll try my best to answer the questions within the chapters.

**Readingred: **Thank you, I'm glad you still like it

**iheartBL: **Lol. Of course you do! I'll see what I can do.

**SmallRozfan: **Lol. Well thanks for coming out of the lurking mode;)

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **lol. I always feel sorry for you guys when you tell me stuff like that. I don't want you staying up so late and the having to go to school within the next couple of hours. But I am glad you like it so much that you would; and thank you. A lot of people have been telling me that I'm writing a six year old correctly lately. It makes me feel better.

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. I knew you would like that! But I hope your mot disappointed with this chapter.

**IceQueen825: **wow! Do you always read the chapters twice; or are ya just getting tired of waiting so you just kinda did it to feel better? Anyway thank you; and every issue you want to see resolved should be sent to me ASAP; whether it's by review or private message. I don't know if I'll be able to cram it in; or if I've already planned to address it; but if you tell me what you want then you'll know there's at least the chance that I'll give it to you. And yes, there is an outline and the end has already been written; _and _the end is near. That's why I said to send me your concerns immediately so that I can try my best to work it in there;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"You can't tell anybody. You have to promise; you have to _pinky _promise me."

"I already told you mine," Tyson whines exasperatedly. "And I didn't make _you _pinky promise."

"Well, mine is bigger than yours," Jo'an counters.

There's no need for the children to whisper. They're on their way to the car. Alone. The adults are still by the water. But they do it anyway. Secrets are supposed to be whispered.

Of course, Lois didn't _want_ Jo'an to go with Tyson; and not just because the kid was the bully who pushed her kid down at school; but because she didn't want to be left alone with Bozo part two. She didn't really have much of a choice though. The kid made her stay behind.

Jo'an absolutely refused to hit Tyson again; not because she was afraid of him; but because she didn't want to hurt him. It felt wrong. Then she helped him up and glared at her uncle for suggesting she hit him again when she really didn't want to do it the _first_ time.

Her uncle smiled at her; and told her she has a big heart and that she must've got it from her mommy; but Lois told him she got it from her daddy because she would've accidently lost count and hit Tyson a few more than thirty one more times.

That made her uncle laugh really hard; and then he asked the kids if they were friends now. Jo'an shrugged out a "sure". Tyson nodded out an "uh-huh." Then Tyson asked if he and Jo'an could go play in the water. The answer was an unsure yes at first; but then Lois remembered that Jo'an didn't have on any sunscreen; so, Jo'an volunteered to get it and to take Tyson with her so that her mommy didn't have to worry about her being alone.

Lois nearly said no to that; but Jo'an let out a "_Mommy_" type hissy whine and then inclined her head toward Tyson while mouthing the word "embarrassing".

Lois could see how that would be embarrassing; being babied by your mother in front of your very own personal bully; but the fact that her kid would rather go off with her tormenter than with her mother irritated Lois all the same.

"It can't be that much bigger. You gotta be strong like your mom; just like me and my brother; or you got it from the green rocks like _my_ mom," Tyson explains logically because that's the only way you can be "special".

Jo'an peeks over at her mother who seems to be arguing with her uncle and not paying her any attention at all.

"My mom doesn't even know."

"Then your dad"-

"He won't let me tell her."

"Oh," Tyson thinks it over for a second and decides that that's really weird. In his family, they only keep the secret from other people. Not each other.

"Stay here" Jo'an commands. "I have to get the lotion from my house."

"Wait, I wanna go too."

"You can't"

"Why?"

"What, you want me to carry you?"

"Yes."

"But what if my mom sees?"

"If you're fast like you say you are she won't see…unless you were just making that stuff up."

"I wasn't."

"Then show me," he challenges.

Jo'an hates being challenged like that. She always feels like she _has_ to do it; whatever _it _happens to be at the time. It's her mommy's fault. Everyone says that's where she gets it from; and sometimes she wishes her mother didn't give it to her or that she could somehow give it back as it usually gets her into some form of trouble; but knowing she might get in trouble for this doesn't stop Jo'an…'cause she's been challenged…and she _has_ to answer.

"Fine!" Jo'an exclaims before picking Tyson up, running to the farm, getting the sunscreen off of the counter where her mother left it, and racing back to the car.

When she sets Tyson down, he wobbles a little bit before falling down and taking Jo'an with him.

"That was so cool!" he shouts while jumping up in the air. Jo'an just laughs up at him. When he's not being mean to her, he has a nice smile too, like her uncle.

"This time I'm for real sorry that I hit you in school all those times," Tyson apologizes sincerely while bending over and helping Jo'an up.

"It's okay."

"If you want, you can hit me again…as hard as you can."

"No it's okay," Jo'an answers absently while wiping the bottom of her shorts. She forgot to tell her mommy that she never wears white shorts to the lake; even if a little bit of time _does _pass before she takes them off to swim, because she always gets them too dirty to fix in the washer.

"You're right. You're a girl. I betcha you can't even hit real hard anyway," Tyson says loudly.

It wasn't a direct challenge; but Jo'an gets the message all the same; and of course she _has_ to answer it.

"I can beat you _every_ time," she says confidently.

"No you can't," Tyson scoffs with so much arrogance that Jo'an nearly hit him then; but that wouldn't be nice. Then he turns his back on her and begins to walk off like he's right; and Jo'an can't help it. She runs up behind him and pushes him in the sand; but not really hard. Then, when he looks up at her, she grins out a "you're it" before running off.

Tyson gets up and chases her. He catches her easily because she lets him. If they're going to play together, she has to be fair right?

When Tyson pushes Jo'an down, she turns quickly and pulls him down too. Okay, so she might've cheated a little bit, but it's not like he'll ever know the difference.

"You cheated!" he exclaims.

Okay, so he might know the difference.

"I don't have to cheat. I'm just better 'cause I'm a girl," she taunts.

"No way!" Tyson grunts while trying to get Jo'an off of him. They were sort of playing tag at first; but now they're wrestling; and it's so much fun. At home, Jo'an can only wrestle with a few people; but they're all adults so it's never really an equal match; but Tyson is her age. He's not gonna just let her win because she's a little girl. He's gonna try his hardest to win because he doesn't want to _lose_ to a girl.

Tyson flips Jo'an over. "Say mercy," he commands while holding her down.

"No!" Jo'an giggles before flipping him back over. "_You_ say mercy."

"Ow!" Tyson says instead and Jo'an starts to let him up immediately. She's just playing with him; she's not trying to hurt him. But then he pins her down before she can even apologize for hurting him; which is something that she _didn't _do she quickly realizes.

"You cheated!" Jo'an gasps.

"You cheated first," Tyson grunts. He's really struggling to keep her down; and the effort it's taking from him makes her laugh.

"What are you laughing about huh?" Tyson frowns; but Jo'an doesn't answer. He's sitting on her like her mommy sat on her Uncle Ollie while they were wrestling. Usually it meant that her uncle lost; but Jo'an refuses to lose. Until…

Tyson starts to tickle Jo'an. If she didn't know about the green rock, Jo'an would've sworn that her only weakness was being tickled. When she's being tickled, she's completely helpless. She can't do anything to defend herself _but_ scream. So she does.

"Stoooop!"

"Say Mercy."

"No!"

"Say it!"

"Get off of me!"

"First say boys rule and"-

"You can't make me!"

"Yes I can!"

"I gotta pee!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do!

"You're just trying to cheat again!"

"I'm gonna pee on you!" Jo'an threatens.

This makes Tyson pause, 'cause that's disgusting. Jo'an takes advantage of Tyson's hesitation and flips him over.

"Hey!" he exclaims. He just _knew_ she was lying about having to tinkle.

They tumble a few more times before they hear a very loud and angry "What the hell!" from Jo'an's mother. The children jump up quickly and Jo'an fixes her shorts as best she can; but it's really already too late. They're ruined. No amount of bleach is going to fix them.

"I'm sorry Mommy, I know I should've took them off first before we wrestled but I didn't remember," Jo'an says quickly before her mother actually gets close enough to kill them…_both _of them; because even though Jo'an should've taken her shorts off before rolling around in the sand, It looks like she's gonna kill Tyson too for having a hand in messing up her shorts.

"Took _what_ off?" Lois hesitates warily when she hears that the children were wrestling and not fighting.

"My shorts," Jo'an frowns back at her mother. Clearly they aren't thinking about the same things right now.

Lois has a hard time swallowing the dry lump in her throat. Her shorts? Her kid actually thought that she, Lois Lane, would be okay with her taking off her shorts so that she could wrestle some boy?

There's this small rational part of her that tells her they're just children, and that they don't know any better, and that they were just having some innocent fun; but the bigger part of her is saying there's no way in hell she's gonna let her baby wrestle with boys with no shorts on.

"Um Tyson," Dee pants. He's finally caught up to Lois and the children. "You shouldn't wrestle her; you could hurt her, understand?"

"No I"-

"No he won't," Jo'an and Lois interrupt stubbornly. Just because she's a girl doesn't mean Tyson can beat her. Lois saw with her own eyes that Jo'an has no problem keeping up with the boy. Now why did she let him torment her at school? Lois has no clue; it's now a mystery to her.

"But that's not the point," Lois begins; facing Jo'an fully. "Girls do not wrestle boys without shorts on…understood? It's bad for them."

Jo'an narrows her eyes at her mother. "But _you_ wrestled Uncle Victor with no shorts on! I _saw _you!"

"Who's Victor?"

It's the first thing that comes out of her mouth; not denial, or a scolding for little eyes seeing what they shouldn't have, or an apology topped with an explanation for why she did what she didn't do because she couldn't get passed the fact that she doesn't know any Victors.

She turns a little and glares at Dee beside her. All of a sudden, he's having some kind of coughing and choking fit. She'd love to choke him for real but then…

"_Victor,_ is the _stranger _you didn't want babysitting our daughter the day before yesterday."

Lois jumps and nearly crashes into Dee.

"Smallville! Were you _trying_ to give me a heart attack! When did you get here? You know I _hate _it when you sneak up on me like that!" Lois yells quickly to cover up for how very awkward this situation has gotten for her. She remembers Victor now. Tall, dark, handsome and a complete stranger to her.

"Dee!"

Lois turns around to face a girl calling out to the jerk beside her. She's not remotely interested in the situation; but she'd rather not look at Clark right now. He's being very quiet…and serious…and he looks like he wants to "talk". She feels like she's in trouble or something; which isn't fair because she didn't do anything!

"There you are; I've been looking all over for you!"

Jo'an watches as a very pretty girl makes her way toward her uncle. When she kisses him; Jo'an frowns. "Who's that?" She whispers to Tyson.

"Emily. Dee's _girlfriend,_" he answers before making a "yuck" face and gagging noises.

Jo'an's frown deepens. Everyone is with the wrong people! First, her aunt is married to Jimmy when she's supposed to be with her Uncle Ollie; then her Daddy was with Lana…and now this! Her Uncle Dee is not supposed to be with _her. _

She decides she doesn't like Emily. She has nothing against her; she just likes her Aunt Kara better.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Sunday October 31st .


	43. Chapter 43

**Eternal density: **Agreed.

**Evilredknight: **Personally, I think you're making too big of deal out of it. Do you honestly expect Lois to go six…nearly seven years without "wrestling"?

Yes, Lois dates Victor for a day longer than AC according to my story; but I never said she only _knew _him for a day longer. In fact, when I first thought up the idea of Lois dating Victor, they'd already known each other for about four years and it just kinda happened. The wrestling that is. They dated afterward to try and make it work but it didn't. I didn't mention it in the story because I thought it was irrelevant. And I didn't think Jo'an would go that far into detail about it.

**Faithfullyfallen417: **Lol. I think it's safe to say Tyson might have a slight crush on Jo'an.

**JUJUChick16: **Thank you; and I can't say…

**Readingred and Madlenita: **You're welcome.

**Jeremy Shane, Clois fan: **Thanks!

**Wtchcool: **I feel sorry for Emily too.

**Quathis: **Thank you, I thought it would be fun; children usually don't hold grudges the way adults do.

**Gladius Grim: ** Lol. I'm glad you feel that way.

**Shopgirl909: **thanks! I really gotta look over that whole chapter again. I think I missed way more thanthat.

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Most of tht stuff was already on my to do list; so hopefully you'll be satisfied when the story ends. Hopefully

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **lol. Thank you; and I got your message.

**Ladyevenstar22: **thank you, It's really not that long of a wait. Honest.;)

**Goldfeather: **Thank you! And no; you didn't miss anything. I decided to do a companion/ prequel to this story. You'll be able to see "future Lois" there.

**Fan: **Sorry.

**iheartBL: **Lol. Pretty darn awesome.

**Bubbly minx: **You're welcome. Glad you liked it

**Nequam-tenshi: **Maybe

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **pleas eno apologies. I get it. School's important; and so is having a life; which is something I obviously don't have right now;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Are you done now?" Jo'an whines with a very heavy sigh.

Lois has been rubbing sunscreen on Jo'an for so long that Clark has had time to fetch the beach bag, lay the towels down, and to help Tyson who is now sitting down in the sand and building another…whatever he's building. His brother has sneaked off a little ways with Emily, leaving the small boy to be babysat by Jo'an's parents'. But that doesn't make him totally irresponsible. He can still be seen…if a person was to squint really hard and use a bit of imagination.

"Yeah Mrs. Jo'an's Mom, are you almost done _now_?" Tyson mimics with an equally nerve-grating whine. He's beginning to sweat. People shouldn't sweat when they're at the lake. It's hot yes, but there's water just right there; water that he could be playing in and _not_ watching…and sweating by.

"Almost," Lois scowls back at the children. She's in no hurry; because as soon as she's finished with Jo'an she has to face Clark. Which is obviously something she doesn't want to do.

"_Moooommy-yuh."_

"Okay, _okay_," Lois mumbles. "I'm done."

"_Finally_!" Both Jo'an and Tyson exclaim; but before they can go anywhere Lois grabs Jo'an's arm.

"Where are you going?"

"To the water," Jo'an answers with a confused scowl. Where else would she be going?

"Aren't you going to do my back?" Lois asks while shoving the sunscreen into Jo'an's hand. Okay, so she's really grabbing desperately at straws. The kid is in such a hurry, she probably won't take any more than five seconds to rub sunscreen on Lois's back. But that's five more seconds she has to avoid Smallville. They're better than nothing.

"_Aww_. Make Daddy do it," the little girl groans; and when she sees the look her mother's giving her, she changes tactics. "Daddy, will you please put the lotion on Mommy? Please. I wanna go play," she pouts pitifully.

Clark takes the lotion out of Jo'an's hand and tells her to go play. He was already standing because even without the pout she had just given him he was _already_ going to take the lotion from her. He'd decided his daughter had been tortured enough.

"So, you wrestled Victor," he says as soon as Jo'an's too preoccupied to hear; because she probably literally can't go far enough to be out of earshot.

Lois sighs heavily before turning to face Clark. He's sitting down on the towel, squeezing sunscreen into his hand.

"I did _not_ wrestle Victor," she scowls down at him.

"But you're going to," he answers seriously.

"Well _you're_ going to leave me," she rebuttals loudly.

"I _died_ Lois, I didn't just _leave._"

Lois works her jaw from side to side. Maybe she hadn't really meant to say what she just said; but she _had_ meant to yell it. She's pissed; and not just suddenly either. She's been mad at him ever since she found out why she ends up raising his daughter alone.

"You're _mad_ at me for _dying_?" Clark asks with raised eyebrows. Who'd have thought he'd be so good at reading her.

"No, I'm mad because you didn't _have_ to die!"

Clark blinks at her; nearly panicked. Did Jo'an tell Lois what really happened?

"You didn't have to run in front of that car to save the old lady crossing the road; you didn't have to run into that burning building to save the drunk guy who started the fire; you didn't have to"-

"Lois I didn't"-

"Yes you did! You did something stupid like that. You're _always _doing _something _like that!"-

"So I shouldn't try to help people?" Clark interrupts calmly.

It makes Lois go quiet for a minute. When he says it like that, it makes her sound selfish, inconsiderate, heartless, and every other word that means she's an awful human being; but it's not what she means. She just…It's just…

It's his fault Jo'an isn't going to have a father. It's his fault Lois isn't going to have a family. Secretly, that's what she wants. The husband; so maybe she would've never imagined Clark in that particular spot, but it's not such a bad thought now. The kid; and maybe she wouldn't have imagined having a child as smart mouthed and difficult as Jo'an, but it's not such a bad thought now. The house; well, maybe not the fur ball and the white fence; but she wanted the family; and she could've had one if Smallville didn't go off and do what he's always doing.

He's always running off…on his own. He's always trying to save someone…on his own. Even her; she can't even remember how many times she's been saved by him…on his own. Why is he always on his own?

"Then tell me that's not how you died; saving someone…" Lois finally rebuttals.

He doesn't answer…because she's right. He didn't have to tell her the whys and hows. She knew the minute she found out that he dies _how_ it happened. He was trying to save someone's life; and then this awful thought; well it was more of a _feeling_; but it came to her immediately. What if it was her? What if he was saving her? She never insisted on an answer to how he died because she was so afraid that he'd tell her it was her fault. That she'd run off by herself to chase a dangerous lead and he came to find her; but now she needed to know now. She's ready to know now.

"Was it me?"

He looks like he's not about to answer; but she presses on. She wants…needs an answer.

"Am I the reason you died Clark?"

He sighs. "No…not just you…it was a lot of people."

_Like a bomb threat or a robbery or something. I knew it._

"Clark, you're not some kind of superhero. You can't keep trying to save the world…at least not by yourself," Lois scolds.

He smiles at her; and it confuses her. Why is he smiling at her? She's pissed and hurt and angry and spilling her guts out to him right now…and he's _teasing_ her.

"Alright then. It's settled."

"What's settled."

"Me and you.

"Me and you what?"

"Partners Lane. _You_ said I can't keep trying to save the world by myself. How about _you _making sure that I'm not all by myself."

Lois goes quiet again. What does that even _mean_? Does it mean what it _actually_ means? That he wants her to just keep a closer eye on him; be his bodyguard so to speak? Is he just trying to shut her up? Or does it mean something else; like maybe he wants to be together in that dream-family way of hers. He certainly didn't seem to mind the family life she thinks to herself as she briefly recalls the way he'd kissed her and Jo'an goodbye this morning. He didn't make a dozen clumsy apologies the way she expected him to do once he realized what he'd done. In fact, it seems like he _still _doesn't realize what he's done; like it just came natural or something.

"Lois!"

"What?" she jumps as he abruptly pulls her out of her musings.

"I said, sit down," Clark repeats while inclining his head a little toward the sunscreen lotion still in his hand; and pointing to the empty spot right in front of him.

She blinks at him a couple of times; not really sure if she wants to sit _there_. It's really close and-

"Am I gonna have to get up and get you?" Clark sighs as if he's not really up for the task; but if she does bolt he'd make sure to catch her because he didn't want her to get burned and _not _because he _wanted _to rub the sunscreen all over her…back; all over her back.

Lois looks like she _is _about to bolt for a second; but then she turns around to face the water and sits down in front of him.

She sits down a little far off; and even though his arms are long enough to reach her, he scoots up a little. He can tell that she's tempted to scoot up again; but then she straightens her back and stays put.

He keeps his smile; and the amused shake of his head; _and_ the little voice in his head that says, _'that's my girl'_ to himself_._

If she would've seen or heard any of that, he would've gotten into trouble.

Lois has to concentrate on breathing regular and keeping her back straight when Clark starts rubbing the sunscreen on her. She has to concentrate on not letting the muscles in her back twitch; and not shivering; and not doing anything to let Smallville know just how good this feels. Because it does feel good. Really good.

It's pure torture.

He should be done by now; but he's not. He's going really slow so he "doesn't miss a spot because she'll yell at him if she gets burned." That's what he said anyway. She's not sure if he's lying. All she knows is that she needs him to hurry up because her baby's over there; granted she's not very close, but no one should be having bad thoughts while their baby's in eyesight. And Lois Lane is definitely having bad thoughts.

"Are you done _now_?" Lois asks to cover up the way she jumped when he touched her waist just now.

"You sound like our six year old," he chuckles.

Lois bites her lip. As soon as Clark said "_our_ six year old", she started wondering about the night she was conceived; and how it was, and she'd be willing to bet something important to her that it was a good night.

'_You're baby's over there Lane!' _Lois chastises herself the moment she actually starts daydreaming about _that_ night; and wondering how bad it would be for them if they started on Jo'an early. Another bad thought; and she has no idea why she's having them all of a sudden.

_Liar. You've been having bad thoughts about Smallville ever since you found him in that cornfield._

"Lois!"

"What!" she yells back. it's his third time startling the crap out her; and it's starting to irritate her.

"You're done."

"Oh…thanks." Lois says before standing quickly.

"Wait Lois, aren't you going to do me?" Clark asks before standing up as well.

"What?" She answers flatly. He didn't just say what she thinks he said. She's sure of it.

"Aren't you going to put sunscreen on my back?"

_So I can have more bad thoughts in front of the baby? I don't think so._

But she lets out a casual "sure" instead before taking the sunscreen from him and motioning for him to turn around.

"So….You're not gonna still wrestle Victor? Right?" Clark asks once Lois starts on his back.

Lois can't even hide her smile; so she's glad his back is to her. The thought of him being troubled by the idea of her wrestling other men could only mean one thing. He's jealous.

"I don't know," she says as nonchalantly as she can. "I mean, he _is _kinda hot-hey! Put me down Smallville!"

"Oh, I plan on it!"

Lois freezes for all of two seconds. First he grabs her out of _nowhere _and slings her over his shoulder like she weighs less than a bag of chips; and now he's heading toward the water. There's no doubt in Lois's mind that that's where he's going to "put her down."

"Clark if you drop me in that water so help me I'll"-

Then he stops. She's kind of disappointed. She kind of wishes he didn't listen to her and threw her in the water anyway.

"I have to use the bathroom," he says as he sets her down. Of course he doesn't really have to use the bathroom; and he _was_ really looking forward to throwing her in the water; but he can't just ignore the lady screaming for help half a mile away.

"Just"-

"I'm not peeing in the water," Clark scowls before jogging away from her.

She smiles after him; even though she's a little irritated at having her fun spoiled; but when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Suddenly the ground begins to shake; but only for a few seconds, and the first thought Lois has is of Jo'an. She looks around; but she doesn't see the little girl anywhere. She doesn't see the boy either.

"Junior!" Lois yells.

No answer.

"Jo'an!"

Still no answer.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Thursday November 4th .


	44. Chapter 44

**Geno beast: **thanks. Sorry about the fillers.

**Readingred: **Lol.It's not that bad…really. Four days isn't longer than the whole week we have to wait to watch Smallville on Fridays;)

**Nequam-tenshi: **Can't say;)

**IceQueen825: **Lol. I think you're the third person to call me evil today. And you read the chapter twice again; I'm really overwhelmingly flattered.

I'll see what I can do about the prequel/sequel thing.

**Batgirl2992: **and you're the fourth person to call me evil today. Lol. Thanks!

**Jeremy Shane, karrtoonmonkey, and Maiqu: **Thank you!

**Faithfullyfallen417: **Lol. Porti potties. OMG! And no, I don't think she can drown.

**JUJUChick16: **Lol. An update from me does not make the world go 'round. You're gonna make my head swell by insinuating it.

**Evilredknight: **Ugh, now I just feel like a complete jackass for being so rude in my reply. I should've added a wink or something to let you know there were no hard feelings; but I was rushing to get the chapter posted before work and I didn't think to add one. I should've figured you guys would assume she'd only known him for a little more than a week. Sorry. I guess I got a little offended because you were mad that I made Lois into a slut; and I didn't feel like I did that.

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. You really tickle me when you laugh so hard at things like that. I'm glad you liked it!

**Madlenita: **I'll see what I can do

**Clois fan: **Lol. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! It is kinda irrational; but Lois's mind works in mysterious ways. Lol.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. I'm glad I prevented the apologies;) Yeah, Jo'an has too much of Lois in her to be patient; and then she's just a kid so it's worse; and Lois was taking waaay too long. Lol.

**Smallville lover forever: **Evil again? That's so mean. It's not really a cliffhanger. I just had to go to work;) A mental calendar huh. That tickled me;)

**Calli: **Awww, don't say that! You'll be fine…just breathe and all that jazz;)

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **lol. The whole weekend? I'm flattered. Thank you!

**Fan: **Can't say;)

**Quathis: **Thank you, glad you're still enjoying yourself.

**Brenshorter: **Thank you! Four hours! Hopefully you gave yourself a potty break. I don't see how you did it. My eyes would hurt if I stared at my laptop for that amount of time!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Jo'an told Tyson it was a bad idea. She told him not to do it. But _noo…_

"I _always_ do it," he said.

"Nothing bad ever happened _before,_" he said.

"It's really _fun,"_ he said.

But now look at what's happened. There's nothing _fun _about this. This is _bad_. Really bad. She told him to just stay right there, and that she'd be back, but now she can't find him anywhere.

As Jo'an jumps in the water to look for Tyson, a Tyson who apparently went fishing with just his hands…in the deep end…all by himself…as soon as she left…even though she told him they should stay where her mommy and daddy could see them, she can't help but to think that this is all her daddy's fault.

It is. If he would've left as soon as the lady started screaming, she could have still been here, playing with Tyson and making sure he didn't jump in the deep end like he kept wanting to; because she realized something when she was playing with him. He may be strong like her; but he is _not _a good swimmer like her. In fact, he's not a good swimmer like anyone. In fact, he's actually a very bad swimmer. Well, he starts off okay; but then he gets tired really fast, oh, and very clumsy and heavy as well. Then he has to take a rest.

But _noo_… When she looked over at her daddy he was still talking to her mommy. Still talking! While there was a lady screaming for help! And then he started jogging, something Jo'an's asked her mother about a million times because she just doesn't get it. Humans run _so_ slow already, why would they _want_ to run _even_ slower?

And even though she realized he was jogging because her mommy doesn't know he can superspeed yet; this is _still_ all his fault; because if he would just tell her mother that he can superspeed, he wouldn't have had to jog because there's nobody here; and her uncle was really far away. Nobody would have seen him use his powers…

So she went. She usually doesn't. She's not really supposed to. At home her aunts and/or uncles would've already had this taken care of. But this isn't like at home. She _had _to do it herself.

It was really easy. She's not sure how; but the lady was in her car and it was sort of see-sawing on the edge of the gorge's cliff. It was going to fall any second cause the lady kept moving around. All Jo'an had to do was pull the car back.

She hid behind a tree afterward and watched until the lady got out of her car and walked around on shaky legs. Then she plopped down on her bottom and started crying. She looked okay though; well, she was crying and shaking real bad; but she didn't look like she was gonna die anymore.

Jo'an felt proud of herself. She helped. Even though her mother says she can't help people the way her aunts and uncles do because she's still so little; and she might get caught or hurt; she did it this time; and nobody saw her. Not even her daddy when finally got there.

Then he started talking to the lady and Jo'an sped back to the lake only to find a missing Tyson. She knew instantly where he was. Playing his stupid game where he tries to catch the fish with his bare hands.

Jo'an was under the water looking for Tyson when she felt the ground shake. It made her panic. Where is he? She wasn't sure how long humans could hold their breaths underwater; but she knew it wasn't long. And she wasn't sure how long he'd already been in the water. If he _is _in the water.

"Junior!"

She hears her mother calling her. She knows she should answer or she'll get in trouble; but she has to find Tyson first.

"Jo'an!"

Jo'an never ignores her mother when she calls her by her real name; because it's always important. Even at home her mother always calls her Junior; but when she calls her Jo'an it's just like when Uncle Ollie calls her Jo'an instead of Joey. It means she needs to come immediately and do whatever she's told.

But she doesn't this time. It really makes her antsy to hear her mommy call her name over and over again and knowing she should answer; but she has to find Tyson first. She _has _too.

When she finally finds Tyson, she wastes a whole precious second by freaking out. He's not moving and he's caught on some kind of _string_? That's what made her panic. He's too strong to be caught on _strings_.

Jo'an grabs him and gets him out of the water as fast as she can. Then she brings him to her uncle, still going as fast as she can and not caring that Emily is looking at her with her jaw sitting in her lap; not caring that she just let a complete stranger see her use one of her powers; because Tyson's still not moving.

"I'm sorry Uncle Dee. I'm really, really, sorry. He's not moving. I was only gone for a little bit I didn't mean to let him get hurt," Jo'an blubbers. She might've blamed her daddy before; but this is all her fault. She shouldn't have left him. Her daddy would've gotten to the lady on the gorge in time. She just wanted to help someone because she's not allowed at home, and here nobody knows that. Nobody knows the rules she has to follow, so she's been getting away with a lot.

Dee takes Tyson away from Jo'an immediately. He ignores her apologies, not because he's mad at her, but because he needs to concentrate on saving his brother. He'd had a few lessons on how to perform CPR but he didn't think he'd ever really need them; and now he wishes he'd paid more attention because he honestly doesn't know what to do.

"Move," Emily says before taking over. She knows what to do; and it's not long before Tyson is revived. And he isn't just revived…he doesn't just blink a few times and wonder what's going on; he jumps up and grins at everyone, including Jo'an…like he didn't learn _anything_! Like he wasn't scared! Like he didn't just almost die!

And then her uncle tells _Emily _that he loves her _so _much!

Jo'an can't take it. She's pissed. Her uncle is supposed to love her Aunt Kara; and Tyson...Tyson…She just wants to kill him for making her so scared. But she doesn't kill him. She pushes him down really hard instead; so hard that the little boy realizes that she's not just goofing around with him right now; so hard that he thinks his bottom is broken. So hard that tears come to his eyes. It shocks him. He's a big boy; and he's strong; but that hurt really bad.

"You are such a dumb…jackass!" She screams down at him before kicking him really hard on his shin and stomping a little ways off. She's not supposed to say that word; but she doesn't care. He _is_ a jackass. A really stupid jackass. And her uncle's a jackass too. And so is Emily.

She sits down, her back facing Tyson and her uncle and his stupid girlfriend that he loves so much, and folds her arms over her chest.

_I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna cry, _Jo'an thinks to herself over and over again.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Lois!"

This is Clark's second time calling her name; and it's her second time not answering him.

He heard her calling Jo'an but he didn't think much of it as he was zipping around saving this person and that person. He figured she was yelling at her for something. He even chuckled a little to himself. His child is always in trouble with her mother; just like he is.

It didn't dawn on him that Lois was actually calling the child by her real name; which is something she doesn't do, until he gets back to the lake. She wasn't where he left her so he scanned the bank and almost immediately spotted Jo'an. She was playing with the little boy, his older brother, and the young man's girlfriend.

Quickly, he dives into the water; not wasting any time searching for her along the shore. Hopefully he won't find her here; Hopefully she went off to do something. But he knows she didn't. Lois would never leave Jo'an behind.

He finds her after four very long seconds and panics. She's not moving. Even when her head breaks the surface she doesn't try to take any air into her lungs.

He's sets her down on the sand; not caring that they aren't fully out of the water yet.

He places his open palms against her chest and begins to perform CPR. He's done it before. Lots of times actually; but that doesn't mean he's a pro. That doesn't mean she'll start breathing again.

'_Please God let her start breathing again.'_

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Monday November 8th.


	45. Chapter 45

**Clois fan, Geno beast, Hannah, Jeremy Shane: **Thanks.

**Hot chocolate: **I'm so sorry! It's okay; just breathe.

**BeccaBright: **Aww, thanks. I'll see what I can do!

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! You're right. Clark needs to do a lot of things; but will he do it?

**Clois 16: **Lol. Thanks! But I can't say;)

**Wtchcool: **Glad you caught onto that;)

**Sunset: **Evil _Again! _Guys you're starting to make me feel bad. Didn't you like the chapter?;)

**Quathis: **Lol. Jo'an's six, not that that's any better;)

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **Lol. She kicked him and called him a jackass. That's sorta the same right?

**Nequam-tenshi: **I know right?

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. You're roommate is gonna send you to the nuthouse if you keep that up;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

When Lois opens her eyes, Clark's mouth is on hers.

She quickly turns her head and coughs out a lungful of lake water. CPR She realizes foggily; not a kiss.

"Lois!" Clark exclaims before pressing his lips to hers. This time, it's _definitely_ a kiss; but it doesn't really count as one. He's just so relieved to see her breathing again that it just kinda happened. He didn't really mean to do it. She's sure of it.

"Junior," Lois mumbles when she finally catches her breath. It's the first thing that comes out of her mouth even though she wasn't thinking of the child at that very second. Evidently her subconscious thoughts are still on her missing kid.

Clark pulls Lois up into a sitting position and hugs her fiercely. She's alright. He didn't know if she would...he'd almost lost her. Again. He's always almost losing her because she can't seem to stay out of trouble; but this time feels…_different_ for some reason. This time actually scared him. Well, every time actually scares him; but this time…

Lois lets Clark hug her for a few seconds before her eyes widen and her whole body stiffens.

"Junior," she says much louder as panic begins to set in. She still hasn't found her.

"She's right there Lois."

Without releasing her, Clark turns her a little and points to a group of people not too far away; showing Lois just where their child is.

She sighs deeply out of relief and sags against him. It makes him frown. Lois doesn't ever _sag_ against anyone. She'd much rather be the strong shoulder for someone _else_ to lean on.

"I couldn't find her," she says shakily. "I thought…I didn't think I was going to be able to find her," she finishes with another shaky sigh.

Clark doesn't say anything. He just rubs her back, expecting her to jump up at any moment and pretend like she hadn't just let him comfort her. Then she was going to march over there and give "Junior" hell for making her worry.

Seconds go by before he realizes that she's not going to do that this time; that she's perfectly content to sit there and let him rub her back until she stops shaking.

Losing Jo'an must've really scared her.

"Pack up the stuff and I'll go get Jo'an," Clark orders before standing up; then remembering that nobody in their right mind orders Lois Lane around without suffering some serious repercussions, he backtracks. "I mean"-

"Okay," Lois agrees before turning around and packing up the beach bag.

Clark gaps down at her for a second. Lois is supposed to yell at him for telling her what to do. She's supposed to march over there and yell at their daughter for making her worry about her to the point where she nearly drowned searching for her.

Clark can feel his jaw work from side to side. All of a sudden he's angry. It's so sudden that it seems to have come from nowhere.

Lois nearly drowned because she couldn't find Jo'an; a Jo'an who was too busy playing with her friend to answer her mother who was calling her name over and over again.

She should've answered her.

"I'll be right back," Clark mutters through clenched teeth and quickly makes his way toward Jo'an. Every step he takes is hurried and rigid; exhibiting all the anger he's feeling toward his child; who should've answered her mother.

When he gets to her; he takes her by surprise because she's sitting by herself, her back facing the other kids.

"Jo'an!" he barks before grabbing the child by her arm and standing her up forcefully. Just a few milliseconds before she's fully on her feet, he yanks her around to face him.

"Da"-

"Why didn't you answer her! She called you six or seven times and you never answered her!" he yells while pointing a finger back in the general direction of Lois. "Don't you know Mommy almost drowned looking for you! That she almost _died _looking for you!"

Jo'an feels her heart tighten; and she whips her head around quickly to look in the direction her father's pointing in. Her mother is packing the beach bag; but she stops and starts shaking; just like that lady that was on the gorge did.

She'd forgotten about her mommy. She was too busy focusing on Tyson that she actually forgot that her mommy was calling her. She messed up so _big_ this time. First Tyson almost drowned because of her; then her mommy.

"Do you _want _Mommy to die?"

"No," Jo'an sniffs quietly. She doesn't ever want her mommy to die; but she almost did because of her.

"Then answer Mommy when she's calling you!"

Before Clark can yell at Jo'an some more, he's nearly pushed to the ground by the little boy Jo'an was playing with earlier. He releases Jo'an as he stumbles; and just stares at the little boy. He's strong; strong enough to knock him down. Which means…he was _actually_ hurting his child while they were at school!

Clark hadn't paid much attention to the "bully" issue because he was so sure his daughter wasn't actually being hurt by the kid. He was so sure that when his daughter said the boy hit her "thirty two times" that she hadn't felt a single blow. He was so sure that when his daughter said "I only fell down three times", she had been _pretending_ to fall. She's good at that; pretending to be hurt if a human attacks her. He's seen her do it with Lois plenty of times; but now…

"Leave her alone!" the boy yells up at him; and Clark has to actually stop himself from giving into the overwhelmingly intense urge he's feeling to just hit the kid _once_ for hurting his baby.

"Maybe if Jo'an's mom knew she couldn't drown then she woulda never almost drowned looking for her!" the boy yells at him before kicking him hard in the shin.

_The little bast- _Clark doesn't finish his thought. One, it's not nice to call children bastards. Two, when Tyson turned around and said "right Jo'an", Jo'an didn't answer.

She left again; while Tyson was yelling at her daddy. She needed to go home so she could stop messing up; so that she could stop getting them hurt; so that she could stop almost making them die. She needed to find Mercy. Mercy would know what to do. She always knows what to do.

Clark runs a frustrated hand through her hair. Where the hell is she _now_!

He looks over at Lois, hoping Jo'an ran over there to apologize to her mother; but she's not there. Lois is still alone.

He swears softly to himself. He's not usually one for swearing; but his baby is gone…_Again._

He starts to make his way toward Lois; guilt making him nervous; because the little boy was right. If Lois knew about Jo'an, maybe she wouldn't have nearly drowned while searching for a child who can't drown.

"Where's Junior?" Lois frowns as soon as Clark approaches her empty handed.

Clark swallows nervously. Lois is going to kill him for losing their child just minutes after "finding" her.

"She ran off. I don't know where she is."

Clark watches as Lois glances frantically toward the water.

"She's not in the water," he tells her immediately. "She ran that way," Clark halfway lies by pointing in the opposite direction of the water. It's halfway a lie because she really isn't in the water; but he also really has no idea of which way his daughter ran.

"Well, go after her!" she yells while staring at him like he's the biggest idiot in the world for wasting time by talking to her when he could be "that way" looking for her…_their_ baby. "How far could she possibly have gotten?"

"Lois you don't understand," he nearly yells back in a panic before running another frantic hand through his hair. "She could be _anywhere _by now! I don't even know where to start."

"Start with "that way," she glares back before running off in "that" direction.

"Lois," Clark yells while grabbing her arm and pulling her to a stop. She glares back at him. Why is he wasting time? Why is he _stopping_ her?

"I don't think she's…she runs really fast…she's long gone by now."

"What does that even mean?" Lois asks while trying to tug herself free. She needs to go find the kid and kill her for running off for the second time today.

"I mean," Clark lets go of Lois's arm and runs another nervous hand through his hair. Lois watches him do it warily. Three frustrated runnings of his hand through his hair?

"I mean, Jo'an's father is the blur; and she can run fast like him…she can do a lot of _special_ things like him," he finishes nervously.

Lois blinks at Clark several times. At first, she thinks he's joking; the same way she thought he was joking when he told her that the Jo'an was her daughter; but just like the last time she thought he was joking, he seems to be serious; which means he really means what he's saying. That the blur is Jo'an's father; but…_Clark _is Jo'an's father. There's no denying that. So Clark is…Clark is….Clark is so _dead_.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Friday November 12th.


	46. Chapter 46

**Faithfullyfallen417: **Aww thanks, and don't worry about it. I understand how busy people can be.

**Hot chocolate: **Lol. Of course Lois is alive. You didn't actually believe she wouldn't make it did you? That would be…rude.

**Batgirl2992, Geno beast, Jeremy Shane, Clois fan, Readingred, Madlenita, JamesTKent, Fan, Ladyevenstar22, Fitz Darcy, and C im am a dragon: **Thanks!

**NaomiBlue : **Yeah, he's _really _lucky;)

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Of course I wouldn't have done that!

I'm actually surprised you guys didn't yell at me because of the way Clark yelled at Jo'an; but it had to be done. He was very scared and he felt Jo'an should have answered Lois. He didn't know she was rescuing someone.

I honestly never gave much thought to when the story was taking place. If I had to guess I would say Octoberish/Novemberish of 2009.

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. That's good. I'm glad you're happy with the chapter. Tyson was very useful, wasn't he?

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! Hope you like this one;)

**Hannah: **He sure does!

**Wtchcool: **I know, I don't think Jo'an realized she just caused more problems.

**Nina Davis: **Lol. It's not _technically _a week. You can do it!

**Katlynne: **Thank you! Everyone seems to like the last line. I'm so happy about that!

**Clois forever: **Wow! I wouldn't say the all time best; but thanks! I'm so happy you're enjoying yourself so much.

**Quathis: **Lol. You're right; "baby logic" usually eludes most adults; glad you still enjoyed the chapter.

**Anita the angel: **Aww, sorry…

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **Lol. You're so right.

**Eternal Density: **Lol

**Anon Wolf: **Wow thanks! And you're right. Tess was testing Jo'an.

**Sakura Northman Cullen: **Thank you! I'm so glad you found it; and like it!

**Crazy girl writer: **Wow! What are you doing over here? You nearly gave me a heart attack! I'm so glad you're enjoying this. Thank you for stopping by, I don't expect any of you guys from "over there" to;)

**Nequam-tenshi: **Lol.I know right?

**Cloisfinally123: **Lol. Sorry about that. I know you guys wanted that to happen sooner but…I thought this way would be better;) glad you still enjoy this.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Joey?"

_Uh-oh, _Jo'an thinks to herself when she bursts into Mercy's office and sees her Uncle there.

_What's HE doing here anyway?_

"What…are you _doing _here?" her uncle asks. Then he lets his eyes take in her full appearance before they narrow, letting her know she's in sooo much trouble.

She looks down at herself and realizes she's in even more trouble than she thought before. She was just in such a hurry to see Mercy; and ask…_no_, beg for her to figure out a way to send her home that she hadn't thought to change her clothes before she came here. She's still wearing her dark green one piece her mother picked out for her. She's still wearing her "too dirty for bleach" and sand-filled white shorts. She's not wearing any shoes. And the bottom of her hair is still wet.

She glances nervously at Mercy. She's also muddied up the woman's very clean and probably expensive carpet.

"My niece…" Oliver says with a shrug as if it would explain away the child's sudden appearance; a sudden appearance that doesn't include an adult chaperone and _does _include "I've just been to the beach" attire.

Jo'an looks up just in time to see her uncle gesture toward her in an apologetic-like gesture.

He walks toward her and quickly lifts her up in his arm, surprisingly unfazed by all the dirt and lake particulates that probably won't ever come out of one of his favorite suites.

"Send me the bill for that," he says while pointing at the ruined carpet.

"Don't worry about it," Tess says dismissively while pretending to be working on something so important on her laptop that she doesn't really notice the child…or anything strange about the fact that she just entered her office alone. In fact, she even goes as far as to supply him with a reason for why the child would be here in the first place. "This isn't the first time she's wandered in here. I imagine Clark should leave her with a better babysitter than Lois Lane; like maybe Lana Lang, her mother…not that it's any of my business; but if the woman really can't keep up with the child, she shouldn't bring her to work. This is not a daycare center."

"Right…until next time?" he asks Tess without actually asking for permission to leave.

He's already out the door when she responds with an "until next time" of her own.

"Where are your parents?" Oliver asks once he sets Jo'an down in his car. It's as if he already suspects she left them at the lake. "And what were you doing in Mer- Tess Mercer's office…_again_ apparently."

Jo'an decides to answer the easiest question first…the one about Mercy's office.

"I wanted another cookie," she lies. It's not easy; but she's not telling him that she was trying to go home. He'd either try to stop her; or tell on her. Then her daddy would stop her.

"Another _cookie_?" he asks disbelievingly. "Why didn't you just ask one of your parents for a cookie?

"'Cause Mercy has the _best _cookies. I wanted the same kind as I had yesterday."

Wait a minute…

"Mercy?" Oliver inquires. He's the only one who uses that nickname for Tess Mercer. "Why did you just call Tess "Mercy"?"

Jo'an frowns back at her uncle. "_You_ called her Mercy."

Had he? He doesn't remember that; but he supposes there is a chance that he had…

"Mommy and Daddy are still at the lake," the little girl sighs with a slight flinch, preparing herself for the yelling that was sure to come.

"And you left them there to get a cookie, right?" he asks. He's not exactly hiding the fact that he doesn't believe her; but she says "yes" anyway because she's not going to tell him the truth.

_She's so…Lois, _he sighs to himself before pulling out his phone. He had plans; plans with a certain blonde who just got out of the hospital. It wasn't anything special, just…

He sighs again. Now he's on babysitting duty until Clark gets here. That part won't take so long; but they needed to have a serious talk about his niece when he does get here. Which means…

"Chloe," he sighs heavily into the phone, knowing she'll probably tear him a new one for ditching her and their _talk_.

"Aunt Chloe!" Jo'an squeals, temporarily forgetting that she's in trouble.

"Oliver?" Chloe replies on the other end. It makes him grimace a little. When she said his name, it was as if she actually said 'did I really just hear Jo'an when we're supposed to be meeting each other… alone?' instead.

"Yeah she's"-

"Let me talk to her," Jo'an interrupts while reaching for the phone.

Oliver jerks the phone away from her.

"Really?" Chloe asks when Oliver explains how he came into possession of their niece. "I'm on my way," she says before hanging up. He stares at the phone for a second. Is she on her way to his place?…to help him with Jo'an?…or to kill him in person for cancelling their da-meeting?

"I wanted to talk to her," Jo'an pouts when Oliver puts his phone away.

Oliver frowns down at his niece; then pulls out his phone again and dials a number. When it starts ringing, he hands it to her. She smiles back at him…until…

"Daddy?" she swallows audibly before glaring at her traitor uncle.

"What, you wanted to talk on the phone _so_ bad," Oliver smirks.

She doesn't let up on her glare. She wanted to talk to her aunt; not her daddy and he knew that!"

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O))~~

"_You're _the blu"-

"Shh Lois," Clark says as he quickly clamps one hand over Lois's mouth and holds the other at the back of her head. "Not so loud!"

"There's nobody around Clark!"

It would have been louder, but his palm against her mouth has muffled her yelling. He was aware that it wouldn't shut her up completely; nothing does, but at least it was something.

"So, we're about to head out."

Lois and Clark turn around to face Dee, Emily, and a grumpy Tyson.

Lois scowls at Clark, who raises a smug eyebrow at her and doesn't drop his hand away from her face. 'Nobody around huh' is what his nonverbals are saying.

"I just wanted to come by and thank Jo'an again for saving my little brother's life. Where is she anyway?" Dee asks while looking around for the child who called him "Uncle Dee" before. He didn't really pay a lot of attention to her when she said it. He was too busy freaking out over his not breathing brother. But after a little while he remembered her saying it, and it made him…curious. Sure, it could've been a mistake or even nothing at all; but still…

Lois slaps Clark's wrist; twice because he didn't remove it from her face after the first slap.

"What do you mean by she saved your brother's life?" Lois asks once Clark drops his hand. These people were the last ones to see her Junior. They may not know where she is; but maybe they could give her some kind of clue.

"Didn't you know?" Dee frowns. "She pulled Tyson out of the water, carried him all the way to me…he would've drowned if it wasn't for her…and the fact that my girlfriend knows CPR."

"She saved him," Clark whispers to himself beside Lois.

"Then what happened?" Lois asks after giving Clark a small glance. The tone in his voice, it was laced with…guilt.

"Then _he _yelled at her and made her run away!" Tyson exclaims sourly while pointing an accusing finger at Clark. Clark takes a very small step back. The child looks as if he's about to kick him…again; but Dee puts a hand on the little boy's shoulder and Tyson stays put.

"Did you see which way she went?" Lois asks the little boy when what she really wants to do is yell at Clark for making the kid run away; even though if she's completely honest with herself she'll realize that she probably would have yelled at the child too and…no, Jo'an wouldn't have run away if she yelled at her. She's always yelling at her; whereas Clark _never _yells at her. He must've really scared the child.

"I didn't see where she went. She was just _gone,_" Tyson answers.Not that it mattered which way the child went anyway. Thanks to "The Blur" her baby could be anywhere.

"We'll help you look for her," Dee offers. "It's the least I…_we _can do. Right Tyson?"

Before Clark or Lois can respond to Dee, Clark's phone rings. He picks it up immediately; not even checking to see who it is and hoping so much that it's his child that instead of the traditional "hello?," her name takes its place.

"Jo'an?"

There's a brief pause on the other side before…

"Daddy?"

Clark nearly passes out from the relief. Nearly.

"Jo'an, where are"-

Before he can finish the question, Lois snatches the phone from him.

"Junior! Where the hell are you? I've been worried sick! First I thought…"

Clark plops down onto the sand and rubs his face, especially his eyes, as Lois walks a little ways down. He could use his superhearing to listen to what she's saying on the phone; but he's just so exhausted from relief that he doesn't even bother. All he knows is that his daughter ran away from him; and it was all his fault. She'd rescued the boy, saved him from drowning. It's probably why she didn't answer her mother when she was calling her; but he didn't ask her. He just yelled at her; probably even hurt her arm when he yanked her up. He was so sure that she'd just been too busy playing with her friend that she ignored her mother.

He should have known better. Jo'an doesn't ignore Lois. She loves her mother; him on the other hand. She probably loves him in that "you're my daddy so I have to love you" kind of way; but he loves her. She made him fall so hard for her. Everything she does, everything she says, all the little faces she makes…he can see him in her; but he can see more of Lois…and that doesn't look bad on his child. It doesn't look bad at all. If he was to lose them…either of them…

Clark looks up when a figure steps directly in front of him, blocking the sun. He may not be in physical need of it but it felt much better when it wasn't being blocked by an angry Lois.

"She's with her Uncle Ollie," Lois smiles; but she's nowhere near amused. She smiles because the other Bozo her child likes is still here, so she wants to seem genuinely happy that her baby's safe; and not overly pissed because her ex has apparently known how special her child is for a while; while _she _is just now finding out.

"Well, I'm glad you found her safe and sound. Please remember to thank her for me when you see her," Dee asks before stirring his family away.

When Dee, Tyson and Emily are out of sight, Lois tells Clark to take her to Oliver's place to be reunited with her child. He sighs and places one hand at her back and the other behind her knees, attempting to pick her up. It's a good thing Lois knows about his abilities now because he's more than anxious to see his daughter. If Lois hadn't known. They would've had to drive instead.

"What are you doing? Put me down!" Lois yells at him.

"We'll get to Oliver's faster if I carry you," Clark explains.

"I don't think so," Lois says while marching toward the beach bag. "We're driving" she announces.

"Driving? But Lois, it'll take three _hours _to get there if we drive. If I just carry"-

"Exactly," Lois interrupts pointedly while she finishes packing up their stuff. "Three hours is plenty enough time for us to _talk,_" she answers while sending him such a threatening glare that he shivers; actually shivers.

He's sure they're not just going to _talk._ He's sure this is going to be the longest three hours he's ever endured. He's sure he's a dead man.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Tuesday November 16th.


	47. Chapter 47

**Wtchcool: **_sometimes_. Lol.

**Jeremy Shane: **Thanks! Neither do I.

**C im am a dragon: **I'm not sure. I don't actually get to read other stories right now; but I do remember reading one nearly a year ago called "Past Imperfect"

**Katlynne: **Thank you! Lol. It's not such an evil cliffhanger.

**Lynn, JUJUChick16, Maiqu: **Thanks!

**Anon Wolf: **Thanks! Yeah Tess knows where she's from; and I agree, season 8 Tess wasn't really a saint;)

**Geno beast:** No doubt. Lol

**JamesTKent: **Lol, thanks! In the future Jo'an thinks of tess as her secret best friend. She still feels that way about her I guess.

**Quathis: **Thank you! He's really predictable isn't he?

**Madlenita: **Lol. You're welcome dear.

**Hannah: **Lol. So do I!

**Little mizz grumpy clois luva: **Lol. Sorry! And thank you for explaining what KOW is. I wouldn't have ever figured it out.

**Gladius Grim: ** Aww man, more pressure to do well. I think I might have some form of an anxiety attack by the time this is over;)

**LooneyTLuna:** Aww, honestly I'm not trying to torture ya; it's okay. I keep telling you guys. Four days really isn't that long.

**Fan: **Lol. I doubt it. This is how all my chapters are. I don't really have the time to do more than what I write before my posted update day. I know me, if I stop doing I the way I'm doing it you guys wouldn't get updates very often.

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Of course not. There's nothing wrong with wanting Clark to shut Lois up with a kiss;)

**Kamiam714: **Lol. Definitely a lady; and I'll try. Thanks!

**Nequam-tenshi: **Like who?

**Ladyevenstar22: **Thanks!I felt so bad for Chloe in your fic.

**Darthphoenixfire: **Lol. Not the cute puppies! Thank you so much for takin the time to read this long…thing.

**Blake: **Lol. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! I'm really glad you think I did OK with my OC

**Eternal Density: **Lol. Thanks!

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **Lol. I knew you would think so.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

For the first two and a half hours of the ride to metropolis, Lois is silent. Completely silent. It worries…scares Clark.

What happened to the "talk" they were going to have? What happened to the "three hours being long enough _to_ talk" idea? They aren't _talking _at all. She's just staring out the window; and whether she's aware of it or not, her whole body is pressed against the door; an unconscious attempt to keep her distance from him in a small confined space.

He almost tells her it's dangerous for her to lean against the door like that; and that if the door somehow opens while he's driving she could fall out; but he keeps his mouth shut. That probably wouldn't happen; and if it did, he could catch her and have her buckled back into her seat without her ever knowing she'd almost fallen.

Clark sighs for the millionth time. It's the only sound he's made in two hours and…now _forty five_ minutes. Lois still doesn't so much as say anything. In fact, she gives no indication whatsoever that she's heard him sigh.

He drums his fingers against the steering wheel and waits. He can tell that she's not sulking or merely giving him the silent treatment. This is a "calm before the storm" moment. She's organizing her thoughts so that when she _does_ blow up at him; it will be _that _much more…destructive.

There's really no need for it. The "calm" part is so much more torture than the storm will ever be. If he just knew what she was thinking…

When she does finally speak, it's in a very quiet voice…more of that calm before the storm.

"So who in all knew about_ my_ daughter's abilities before me? Mrs. Kent of course…"

"Yes. My mom knows," Clark agrees; even though he knows she doesn't really need a verbal confirmation for that one. She knew that his mom knew before she even said anything. How could she not? The woman raised Clark as her own son. How could she not notice he was…special? And it only stands to reason that if _he_ was special, there was a good chance that his offspring would be as well.

Lois is just using his mother to her advantage right now. Martha Kent is nothing but a number; her sole purpose in this conversation is for her to be added onto the amount of people Clark put before Lois with something she should've been told not just the moment she found out that she was Jo'an's mother; but from the very beginning.

And numbers are good. Numbers are gonna make Clark look even worse. It's very strategic thinking…very military like. She learned _something_ from The General.

"Oliver; I'm sure," she adds.

"Yes," Clark confirms. Oliver is another person she doesn't need confirmation of. How could he _not_ know about Jo'an? He called Clark up because he had their missing child in Metropolis; a missing child who'd been in Smallville before going missing just minutes before turning up in a city that takes a car three hours to get to.

Of course Oliver didn't tell Lois anything; but the fact that he didn't seem freaked out or confused by the fact that the child had gotten to Metropolis…on her own; that told her everything she needed to know.

And _that_ made Oliver number two in the list of people who knew about her daughter before she did.

"Chloe?" Lois continues.

"Yes," Clark answers.

"Of course she does," Lois says. Her voice is still calm. That makes number three.

Clark sighs deeply. When is she going to get to the yelling and screaming?

"What about Bozo?" Lois growls as if his answer better be no. All of the other people she named were family; or in Oliver's case, someone she's known for years. Bozo on the other hand; well, she just met him the day before yesterday.

But she knows the answer is yes. She's positive the bozo kid is going to be number four. He's yet another person she doesn't really need confirmation for because just yesterday morning her daughter told her that she likes…no, that she is going to _marry_ the young man because he can run really fast. Then she gave Lois this huge goofy grin before whispering, "sometimes _I _can't even catch him"; and because Lois didn't know just how fast her daughter could run, she made a comment about how the kid should hold onto the bozo kid because there weren't many people who could run faster than her.

She was being completely sarcastic when she told Jo'an that but now… she might as well start picking out the wedding dress because there really _aren't _a lot of people who can run faster than her child…thanks to "The Blur."

Clark hesitates before answering. He'd noticed the slight change in Lois's voice and just knew the storm was practically at his doorstep now.

"Yes. Bart knows."

She nods her head. Number four; just like she thought.

"Uncle Victor?" This one she isn't so sure about; but the fact that Clark let him babysit their daughter…he wouldn't have done that unless he trusted the man not to say anything to anyone if he saw her do anything…_weird_ right? Then again, she'd been around the child for days and nights; and she never suspected a thing. The fact that her child was able to keep such a huge secret from her just added more fuel to the fire. That was all Clark's doing. She's sure of it. Once, she'd walked in on her daughter saying "can't I just tell her Daddy, please" and Clark's answer had been "No". When she asked what they couldn't tell her, Clark just winked and told her it was a surprise. Later that day, he'd given her six roses, six small teddy bears, and six cards. She read two of the cards before she figured they all said "happy mother's day."

"It's not mother's day," she told him.

"Yeah, well, I missed six of them so I figured I had some catching up to do," he grinned.

Lois smiled back at him; and instead of saying thank you, she told him that if that was the case he missed six of her birthdays and six Christmas's. She almost mentioned the six valentines days but stopped herself. Twelve extra gifts were more than enough.

"Yeah Lois. Victor knows too," Clark finally answers; putting her mind back on track. She'd gotten so caught up in the sweet gesture he'd made with the cards and teddys, she nearly forgot to see then as they were. A distraction and a lie. He wouldn't have gotten them for her if she'd never questioned him about the secret he and Jo'an were keeping from her.

"Uncle Victor" is number five. She straightens her back as she forces herself to concentrate on not being derailed again.

"…Lana?"

'_If Lana is number six…'_

He hesitates and that's as good as a confession to her.

She shouldn't be surprised. Not really. She shouldn't even be hurt. She should've figured Lana would have been the _first_ person he told.

"Lois I"-

"Don't worry about it; just let me out right here."

"But it's"-

"No longer than a five minute walk," she cuts him off.

Clark looks around. She's right. They're not far from Oliver's apartment; but…What happened to their "talk"? What happened to the yelling and the screaming. There's supposed to be yelling and screaming. He kept something from her; put her and his child in danger by doing so; scared his baby away; and now Lois is finding out that practically everyone knew something she didn't; something important about _her_ daughter.

He sighs deeply. He messed up. He messed up really bad. Why should he get let off the hook with some screaming. That would mean she'd gotten everything off of her chest and that she was _that_ much closer to forgiving him.

He doesn't deserve forgiveness yet. He deserves the silence and the not knowing if she'll ever forgive him…but he doesn't _want _it.

"Pull. Over. Clark."

Right. She wants to get out and walk the rest of the way.

He parks the truck immediately and gets out of the vehicle. More than likely it's going to end up being towed but she wants out now, and he's not letting her walk by herself.; even if it is just a few minutes' worth of a walk.

"What are you doing?" she asks when he starts walking beside her. Still no yelling or screaming; just more of that icy calm.

"I'm walking"-

"Your trucks going to get towed," she interrupts.

"I deserve it."

She stops abruptly and glares at him. "Don't do that!"

"What?"

"_That_! That woe is me, puppy dog tail between your legs, I deserve to be tossed into a volcano crap!"

He gets it. She doesn't want him to feel sorry for himself.

"I'm sorry Lois. I"-

"I don't want an apology!"

He doesn't get _that. _She doesn't want him to feel sorry for himself _and_ she doesn't want him to apologize to her? Then what _does _she want?

"Lois, I don't know what else to do."

He realizes it's a mistake as soon as she whips around to face him, causing him to nearly bump into her. He'd sort of been walking behind her. Not on purpose; but she'd been walking pretty fast.

"_That's _the problem Clark! You never know what to do!"

It picks the worst time ever; but at that very moment his phone rings. He tries his best to ignore it, but it's really loud and has caught Lois's attention. She rolls her eyes and starts walking again. He stares at her back knowing that the phone call has set him back quite a ways in his quest for forgiveness.

Angrily he looks down at it; mad at whoever interrupted his moment with Lois and made her even angrier with him.

But then he runs a hand through his hair when he sees who it is.

It's Lana.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Saturday November 20th.


	48. Chapter 48

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. You want Clark to suffer? That's so mean! JK.

**Hot chocolate: **Lol. A virus? That just tickled me.

**NaomiBlue : **Honestly couldn't agree more.

**C im am a dragon, Jeremy Shane, Clois fan: **Thanks!

**Darthphoenixfire: **Thanks! How was Harry Potter, I'll probably go see it next week. As for the Bruce Wayne reference, I'll see what I can do, maybe next chapter.

**Ladyevenstar22: **you're welcome! And lol; Of course Jo'an needs to learn that she shouldn't run off; but that's what got her in this mess in the first place; running away from her grandma, sneaking into her dad's loft, and putting on a dangerous ring.

**Jstarr713: **Lil. That's her sole purpose in the show, and if it's not than…oh well, she does it anyway.

**Katlynne: **Thank you! I lol'd at the all caps on "don't answer the phone."

**Winthjo: **Of course.

**Anon Wolf: **Lol, that was pretty aweful. And I'm sorry you don't like what I did with Jimmy; but it was the best I could do under the circumstances. I refused to kill him; but everyone wanted more Chlollie, and he always had jealousy issues so…

**Madlenita: **Lol. I don't think anybody thought she could.

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I guess I'm a mind reader;)

**Gladius Grim: ** Amen! And thanks!

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **Lol. You're right again!

**Quathis: **Lol. I think Lois is strong enough to teach him too.

**Smallville lover 4ever, Lostieamyethyst, and Liv Marie: **Lol. Thanks!

**Readingred: **Wow thanks! I was really nervous, I figured everyone would have liked to hear the yelling; but this is what I went with. 

**Chazioid: **Aww, it wasn't that bad.

**Samse: **Lol. Indeed he is.

**Geno beast: **Sorta kinda;)

**IceQueen825: **Oh. My. God. I swear to God; and on the lives of my godchildren that I had this chapter written before I even read your reply; but it doesn't seem like it at all. Lol. So maybe you'll be satisfied with this chapter. Oh, and I keep giving a number on how many chapters are left; but I really think there's about four left, not including this one. I hope anyway.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. I knew you'd apologize in _some _form. Lol. I never really realized it; but this story is kind of angsty; maybe I should change the description from family/humor to angst/humor

**Nequam-tenshi: **Lol.I know right?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark Kent doesn't know what to do. Lois had _just _told him that was his problem; that he never knows what to do; but this time…

Lois had _just _asked if Lana knew about his…_their _daughter's abilities; and she'd _just _made him pull over so that she could get out and walk because of the answer, or lack of an answer; which _was _actually an answer; and now Lana's calling.

She has every right to he supposes. Technically, they never broke up, or decided to take a break. Technically, she's still his girlfriend…technically. But he hasn't been acting like it. He hasn't seen her in a few days. He hasn't talked to her either.

He hasn't been doing it on purpose. She just keeps…_slipping his mind_.

The least he could do is answer the phone call right?…but Lois…

She's pretty far ahead; but she'll know who he was talking to. All she has to do is ask and he'll tell her. He _could _lie; tell her it was my mom or Bart or someone; but he's told her so many lies already, and she just found out the truth. Lying to her at this point would just be…wrong.

He accepts the call and brings the phone to his ear.

"Lana"-

"Clark! What took you so long to answer?"

He quickly searched his brain for a little excuse to give her; but then he stops himself.

'_Now, I'm going to lie to Lana?'_

He gives his head a mental shake.

"Someone named The Toyman contacted me. He said to tell you he has another game for you and to"-

"The Toyman?" he interrupts with a suspicious frown. The Toyman usually contacts Oliver; then Oliver calls him and or Bart. What's he doing contacting Lana?

"Yes, The Toyman, I had to stop three different bombs from going off within the last fifteen minutes. It was like some kind of sick game. I had to figure out the location of the bombs based on a riddle he made up; then the bombs were disguised as little toys, and all of them were placed in a child's bedroom. I think if he wants to call himself the Toyman, he's earned it…And now he told me to call you and for you to meet me for "another round". "-

"But why"-

"Clark just do it. Who knows when he'll call again? We probably don't have a lot of time. Meet me at the diner across from the Daily planet," she commands before hanging up.

Clark looks around himself quickly, preparing to speed away; but then he stops. He can't go…not without telling Lois he's leaving first.

He speeds up until he finds her. She's already at Oliver's door. Boy she can walk fast when she's angry.

"Lois?"

She jumps a little. Apparently, she didn't hear him come up behind her even though he'd slowed down to a normal pace just before coming to stand behind her.

"What?" she mutters. If he didn't have superhearing, he probably wouldn't have heard that.

She refuses to turn around to face him, and then she reaches up and buzzes Oliver to let her up.

"Lois…on the phone…that was…Lana called."

He watches her stiffen slightly before reaching up and buzzing Oliver a few more times. She's in a hurry to get away from him.

"Lois, I have to go with her."

Another small stiffen, though not as small as the last one, and more ringing of that buzzer from Lois.

"This man, Winslow Schott," he starts. He can tell she's listening even though she's pretending not be…well, she's stopped ringing the buzzer at least. He's grateful for that. It gives him a little encouragement to continue. "He calls himself The Toyman, and he keeps setting up bombs disguised as toys in little children's rooms. I _have_ to go."

She doesn't answer.

"Lois?"

"I heard you," she answers quietly.

He stands still. There's more; she wants to say something else…ask him something. He can tell by her posture.

Then she turns around to face him, her face an unreadable mask. "But why Lana?" she asks. "Why not go with Oliver…or even Bart," she finishes, using the young man's real name for the first time.

Clark understands that she's asking him why he has to take a mortal woman who just happens to be his ex to go stop some bombs, when he could take a superhero like The Green Arrow or Bart, the guy who she just found out can run faster than her daughter.

Clark sighs heavily. Lana's secrets are not really his to tell but… "She _does _have..._abilities_."

"Oh? Like what kind?"

"The same kind I have."

"She's Claraptanian too?" Lois asks disbelievingly.

If this wasn't such a serious moment, he would've laughed before correcting her.

"Kryptonian; and no, she…Lex built a suit that allows whoever's wearing it to have the same abilities as I do. "

"Luthor? I thought he was dead."

"He might not be," He answers truthfully.

Lois stares at him for a minute before speaking. "So Lana is wearing this "suit" now?"

"Yes," he answers.

She doesn't say anything again; and he finds himself wishing he knew what she was thinking…yet _again_.

"So you two are compatible now," she says when she finally speaks.

He doesn't know how to answer that; and if he did, he doesn't have the time _to_ answer that; because Oliver chooses this moment to finally open the door.

"Now before you two angry parents start all the yelling and grounding, I was told by a very, _very,_ sorry Joey to tell you that she's very, _very, _sorry and that she won't do it again.

Lois ignores Oliver, stepping right past him and creating as _much_ distance from Clark as _quickly_ as she can.

Vaguely, she can hear Oliver say something like "I tried," but she ignores that too. She's mad, and hurt, and just a little…sad.

She'd started to believe that maybe, just maybe, Jo'an isn't some kind of mistake they'd made due to too many rounds at the bar; that maybe they were both sober and willing participants who knew full well what the consequence of their actions might be, but didn't care because they lov-…cared about each other…

But now she's not so sure…because of Lana.

How could she ever compete with Lana? Clark's loved her since before her two front teeth went missing. He's pined after her for years. She even had to sit through a couple of those 'pining after Lana' sessions; and now…the girl's just like Clark. She's his equal, they practically belong together…a match made in freakin' heaven. Lois _can't _compete with her.

"Now Lois, I know you want to absolutely murder your daughter; but me and Ollie had a long talk with her and she realizes what she did was wrong. She promised not to run away again."

Lois blinks rapidly at the sound of her cousin's voice. She was so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't realized that the woman's standing right in front of her, one arm draped firmly around her daughter's shoulder.

Lois moves her gaze from Chloe's arm and looks at her daughter's face. She can't really see it because the child is looking at her shoes and ringing her hands; slightly rocking back and forth on her heels.

That's right; she's supposed to be mad at her. She disappeared…twice; scaring the crap out of Lois; but…

"Junior, look at me."

Jo'an sighs softly before looking up at her mother; and Lois can practically feel her heart break. She looks just like _him_; like her father. It hurts to actually look at the child, so she looks down instead.

It's a good thing she doesn't know what to say yet; because she no longer has to say anything. There's an abrupt rush of air; an unnaturally strong breeze considering they're indoors, and it makes Lois whip her head around to see just what had caused it.

There in the doorway is Lana Lang.

"Clark, now," she says without preamble. She's in a hurry and has no time to waste with pleasantries. "I figured it out, we have sixty seconds."

"Where?" Clark asks just as urgently.

"Hollywood."

"Los Angeles?"

"Florida. Let's go."

"Wait."

"fifty six seconds," Lana says while checking her watch, though she doesn't really need it.

Clark looks from Lana to Lois. She's giving him a look that clearly says 'go ahead'; but the way she's looking…she looks so sad, dejected? Rejected?...like he doesn't want her…but he _does _want her…and Jo'an.

He used to think about what his children would be like; maybe a lot more often than the average male; but only because he didn't know if he _could _have children.They were sweet little things; his imaginary children; with dark hair, green eyes, just like their mother; who he imagined was Lana at the time. They were gentle souls, who only needed a stern talking to once every blue moon for doing something like leaving their toys out and about, nothing worse than that because they were good little angels…

But Jo'an, save for the dark hair and green eyes like her mother, is _nothing_ like those adorable perfect children. She's the complete opposite. She's headstrong, and blunt, with a razor sharp tongue, and the contradicting face of an angel. She's confident, and courageous, and impulsive, and a mischievous manipulating little thing…and she's so. Damn. _stubborn_; but then she has this smile that makes him want to close his eyes; just because he's not strong enough to resist her if he's looking at her when she does it; and his baby knows exactly how to use it.

She makes those other children seem dull…boring. He doesn't want them. He wants Jo'an; he loves Jo'an; exactly as she is; and she's exactly like her mother. So that must mean…that Lois…that he wants Lois…that he must love her too.

'_But Lana…'_

Just as he has that thought, Lana reminds him that they have forty eight seconds. He turns to her and nods his head, letting her know that he's heard her. Then he walks over to Lois. Standing beside her, he stoops a little and reaches his arms out to Jo'an, letting the child know he wants to pick her up. She hesitates a little before holding her arms out to him as well. He smiles at her; and instantly she grins back. There's that grin; that grin that's so much like her mother's.

"You be good for…" he hesitates a little, knowing that Lana is right behind him; but then he continues; albeit a little nervously. What he's about to do could jeopardize his mission with Lana. She may not want to talk to him after this, and they may need to talk in order to save those children. "You be good for Mommy, okay Jo'an."

"Okay Daddy."

"No running away."

"I won't"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Pinky promise?"

"_Daddy!_" She rolls her eyes at him; just the way her mother does. He smiles back at her. She really couldn't be more perfect if she tried.

"Clark, twenty nine seconds," Lana says a little more curtly than before. Although, she could be running low on patience because they're running low on time.

He puts his daughter down, giving her a kiss and telling her that he loves her. She beams up at him.

"I love you too Daddy."

Clark straightens up and his gaze falls on Lois. He could tell her that he loves her before he leaves too; but he doubts she'd believe him. He'd have to prove it to her…he just doesn't know how.

"Twenty one seconds," Lana says. And then Clark suddenly remembers something Lois just said; something about him and Lana being compatible and he suddenly realizes what he has to do…and he's nervous. He takes a deep breath before taking half a step toward Lois, purposely invading her personal space as she likes to call it, and kisses her. It takes a lot of will power for him not to flinch, he's sure she's going to hit him, kick him, scratch him, bite him…although the last two-

'_Mind out of the gutter Kent.'_

Lois open's her mouth, not as encouragement, and not as an invitation; but to gasp. He can feel the way her eyes have widened, and the way she's frozen in response. It's better than her hitting at him he decides before placing a hand on her waist.

It takes a few seconds, three to be exact, before Lois closes her eyes, places a hand over his, and relaxes her stance. That's when he pulls away from her.

He waits until she opens her eyes before telling her that he thinks _they_, Clark and Lois, Lois and Clark, are compatible. Then he kisses her again, a very soft caress of a kiss that barely touches her lips, but that she can feel all the way down to her toes.

"I'll be back," he whispers.

Then he turns around.

"Twelve seconds" he tells Lana. "Let's go."

And then he's gone.

Lana lingers for a moment, before she too disappears.

After that…there's complete silence. Lois is staring at the door, not really seeing anything, Oliver and Chloe are staring at Lois, and Jo'an's very bored, but if she doesn't say anything maybe her mommy won't remember how much trouble she's supposed to be in.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Wednesdy November 24th.


	49. Chapter 49

**Hot chocolate: **Thank you! I hoped you guys would like it.

**Geno beast, Jeremy Shane: **Lol. No kidding.

**Samse: **Lol. I sorta think that was his way of doing it. It was just wrong on all kinds of levels;)

**Clois fan: **Thanks! Hope you're satisfied with this one.

**Wtchcool: **I know, 12 seconds really wasn't much time was it?

**C im am a dragon, Caro, Madlenita, and Ladyevenstar22: **Thanks!

**B. Davis: **Every day! You're trying to give me an anxiety attack aren't yo. Do you know how nervous I get every time I post a chapter. Once every four days is quite enough thank you very much;)

**NaomiBlue : **Yes he did. lol

**Readingred, troyellacloisgarmor, Nequam-tenshi: **Lol.

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **Lol. sorry

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! Hope you like this one too1;)

**LoisLaneRocks: **Thanks! I'm glad you think so, hope this chapter was worth the wait

**Foxicully: **Lol. I didn't know that, and I apologize for making you antsy

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Lol, whoa. It's alright hun. Here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy it without hating me this time;)

**Quathis: **Lol. The countdown was pretty fun to write; as was Jo'an's logic about keeping quiet.

**Katlynne: **Thank you! I'm so happy you think so!

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Yes I can tell; and thank you for your lovely review. I figured you'd like that part;)

**Lois Joanne Lane: **Thank you! I figured it was only the right thing to do.

**Stupid me: **Thank you for giving the story a chance; I'm glad it wasn't a waste of your time; and Jo'an sends you many smooches in return. lol.

**Zdoggggggggg: **I just want you to know that I'm sorry if I put too many or too little g's in your name. lol anyway, thank you for the review!

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. When I read your review I was like 1,000 reviews? I actually had to check to see what you were talking about; but ya weren't lyin' hun. Wow! Thanks! And I just knew that you would like the fact that Clark kissed Lois in front of Lana. It was fun to write. Thanks again!

**Jade121: **Lol, perceptive.

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. maybe

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"Did you just…did you just _see _that!" Chloe whispers rather excitedly and loudly to Oliver after about a minute or two of shocked silence.

Jo'an and Oliver turn a little to face her; giving her their full attention. Lois is still staring at the door. There's nothing particularly exciting going on over there. Lana and Clark left minutes ago; literally; so the initial shock of the two of them disappearing right before their eyes has worn off. Especially because she, Oliver, and Jo'an are used to it.

But Lois isn't. And even though Chloe realizes Lois is a fairly new member of the Clark's an alien club, she doubts that's why her cousin is still staring at the door.

"Clark just…Clark just…"-

"Yeah," Oliver whispers back; his face is stuck somewhere between a frown and an amused smile.

"Right in front…right in _front_…"-

"Yep," Oliver whispers a little louder, popping his P.

He still isn't sure how he should be feeling at the moment. There's a small part of him that's kinda proud of Clark; it took some serious guts to do what he just did; but the other part of him can't help but wonder if that was the best thing to do at that particular time.

What if he and Lana start arguing; or what if she refuses to help him because she's upset; or what if she _does_ realize that she needs to focus on saving the children and she doesn't say anything to him at all about it, trying to be the bigger person for that moment; but she just can't seem to focus. He wouldn't blame her for that. No one would, _could, _blame her for that.

Her boyfriend just kissed another woman; a woman who is the mother of his future child. And she didn't just hear it through the grapevine; he did it right in front of her. And not only did he kiss the woman, but he told her that they "Clark and Lois, Lois and Clark" were compatible; and _then _he had the nerve to kiss her _again_ before telling Lana they had twelve seconds. Twelve seconds! No "Lana I'm sorry" or "I'll explain everything later" type deals; just "twelve seconds. Let's go."

If all those children make it out of this alive…Lana might be someone worth keeping in contact with. Someone who is able to separate work and home life that well could be a very valuable asset. Great now he sounds like he's going to use her as a sniper or something.

"Hey."

Oliver looks down at Chloe, the person who distracted him from his musings.

"I'm sorry, I know you still…"

"Still what?" Oliver frowns back.

"You know," Chloe answers quietly while tilting her head a little in Lois's direction.

Oliver glances at Lois and instantly gets what she's trying to say; but before he can answer her Lois turns around; finally.

"I'm going to work," She announces out of nowhere. "I have a story to write."

And the jaws drop again.

Jo'an sighs audibly. At this point she'd rather just get into trouble. Trying to stay out of trouble is just so boring it almost feels like a punishment in itself. And she doubts her mommy would forget to punish her anyway, so…why get punished twice?

"Lois, maybe you should think about this," Oliver answers.

"What's to think about? There's a weirdo out there planting toy bombs in little children's bedrooms. I'm a reporter…" she weighs her hands up and down as if to show them there's only one logical conclusion to come to. Reporters report weirdos who plant bombs in children's bedrooms.

"You're going like _that_?" Chloe asks with a huge smirk on her face. She knows what Lois is doing. She's running. Metaphorically speaking. She needs to get away so that she can either think, or forget, about what just happened.

Lois looks down at herself and swears softly. She's still in beach attire. Which reminds her…

"Junior!"

Jo'an takes _it_ as well as a step back; she'd rather stay bored forever than get in trouble.

"I'msorry, I'msorry, I'msorry, I won't ever run away again. I promise," Jo'an clasps her hands together and begs.

Lois blinks at her a couple of times. Usually she'd tell her that that kind of stuff doesn't work on her; and that she's gonna get in trouble anyway; but now she's just a little…confused. It's probably not the right word but she can't really think of another way to explain her feelings.

How did she do this before…in the future? Alone? How did she punish a little girl who could just simply pick her up and throw her miles and miles away if she didn't get her way? How did she ground a child who can sneak off to do whatever the hell she wants while she was standing right there and she'd never know if the little girl's been away?

Maybe if Clark…if she knew that Clark was _there _she wouldn't have to wonder. He could catch her, if the child threw her. He could catch the child speeding off, if she ran off while grounded; but since it was just her…how _did _she do it?

Lois stoops a little, staring Jo'an straight in the eyes as a small idea comes to her.

"You love your mommy, don't you Junior?"

Jo'an blinks at her mother, completely confused. Of course she loves her; but why isn't she yelling at her. She's supposed to be yelling at her….a lot.

Lois tugs on a few of Jo'an's runaway curls gently. "Don't you?" she asks again.

Hesitantly, Jo'an nods her head.

"Have you ever hurt your Mommy?"

Jo'an's eyes get wider as she instantly remembers _that_ day at the park; the day she broke her mother's arms.

"Even if it was just an accident?" Lois continues.

Jo'an still doesn't answer. She wants to lie; to say no; but instead she starts ringing her hands nervously.

"You have, haven't you?" Lois whispers almost satisfactorily. She had no way of knowing if the question would yield the answer that would work out in her favor; but she had a hunch there would be at least one accidental injury involving her and her daughter.

Jo'an glances at her aunt and uncle, hoping they could maybe help her out a little; but they're not looking at her. They're watching her mommy, wondering just where she's going with this; unlike Jo'an is. She's not wondering where her mommy's going with this. She doesn't want her mother to go any further. She's gone far enough already.

"You want to tell me what happened?"

Before Jo'an can stop herself, she quickly gives her head a firm negative shake; confirming her mother's suspicions and ruining her chance to lie about it.

"How bad was it?"

Jo'an clamps her mouth shut; refusing to say anything about that day; but it doesn't stop her from remembering. She can remember that day so clearly. It wasn't so long ago; just two years ago in fact. All she wanted to do was play on the swings a little longer. She didn't mean to do it. She didn't.

But she did. Her mother told her it was time to go. She told her no, that she wanted to stay. Her mother said a bad word then, not a big bad word, just a "Dammit Junior, I said let's go!" And she told her mommy that she couldn't make her; because she couldn't. She couldn't make her do anything because Jo'an was stronger than her. But then her mommy snatched her off the swing, and Jo'an was just trying to get down that's all; but then she heard this…_sound_; like something hard being snapped; and her mother screamed so loud and-

"Did I have to go to the hospital?" Lois nearly whispers; interrupting the child's thoughts.

"It was an accident Mommy," Jo'an sobs. Tears start to run down the child's face as she starts to remember that part too. The ambulance, the doctors, the stinky hospital room.

She can hear her aunt and uncle gasp; and her aunt covers her mouth just as she whispers "Oh my God."

"I'm sorry," Jo'an cries. Her mother is just staring at her; like she doesn't care that she's crying; like she's mad at her; like she's never gonna smile at her again; like she's gonna stop loving her any second now.

"Junior, did you make Mommy cry?"

At this, Jo'an closes her eyes, and starts to cry in earnest. It was an accident. She didn't mean to do it. She would never hurt her mother on purpose. Never. But she _had_ made her cry.

"You hurt me _that _bad?"

Jo'an covers up her ears and continues to cry. She doesn't want to hear anymore; doesn't want to remember anymore. Her mommy told her it was okay. That she would always love her no matter what she did; but Jo'an never ever could forget the fact that she made her mommy cry.

Lois puts her hands on top of Jo'an's and tries to pry them away from her ears. "Junior" she calls a few times; but the child probably can't hear her. She's crying so hard while apologizing repeatedly.

Lois sinks down to her knees, wraps her arms around the crying child's middle; pulls her into her lap, and begins to rock her gently. Jo'an keeps rigid and still for a little while; not wanting to be comforted by her mother; not thinking she _deserved _to be comforted by her mother, but after a few minutes, the tears begin to die down, and she practically sags against Lois. She's tired. She's never cried so much and for so long in her whole entire life.

Once Jo'an stops crying, Lois looks down at her. She's in such an awkward postiton. She's resting her head against Lois's shoulder; but her hands are still pressed against her ears.

Carefully, Lois peals one of Jo'an's hands away and kisses the little girl on the cheek.

"Whatever it was that you did to hurt me, I can think of something worse you could do to me."

Jo'an opens her eyes and stares at her mother. She's wrong. There's nothing else she could do to hurt her so badly than what she did _that _day.

"Disappear," Lois says. "When you disappear, and I don't know where you are, that's the worse pain you could ever put me through. It hurts. And it will make me cry harder than I've ever cried before. Do you understand that?"

Jo'an nods her head.

"Don't disappear anymore," Lois tells her. "Don't hurt me like that again."

Jo'an doesn't say anything; just buries her face in her mother's neck and cries again.

She's made a mess. Her Mommy; her _real _mommy doesn't know where she is right now; so she's hurting her; and this mommy will be hurt if she leaves. She doesn't want to hurt either of them; because they're both the same person. They're both her mommy. She loves them both.

So what is she supposed to do _now_?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Sunday November 28th.


	50. Chapter 50

**Nequam-tenshi: **don't cry! I'm sorry.

**C im am a dragon, Jeremy Shane: **Thanks!

**Tessfan: **Lol. I've heard that before.

**Wtchcool: **I know, but Jo probably would feel bad about even mentioning it to Lois now; the poor kid. She gets her guilt tripping from her daddy.

**Hannah: **Thanks! I feel sorry for her too.

**Mayicita: **Thanks! I was so worried about that chapter; and the fact that I had to leave for work, so I kinda rushed it. I'm glad you think it turned out well.

**Laura Redmond: **thanks! And sorry for the none-Clois moment.

**LooneyTLuna:** Aww don't cry! I wasn't trying to make you cry; but it was the only way I could think for Lois teaching Jo not to run off. I couldn't think of _anything _else.

**LoisLaneRocks: **Thank you! I'm glad you were satisfied; and you managed to make me blush a little with all that praise!

**B. Davis: **Lol. Nice try. I think the waiting is good for ya…sort of. I'm so glad everyone likes how Lois handled Jo'an. I was really iffy about that.

**Jade2nightwing: **I agree. Poor kid.

**Quathis: **You're totally right. Lana did witness the goodbye kiss after breakfast after all. Thank you so much for reviewing.

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Thank you! I had a wonderful thanksgiving; and I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter; but you guys are making me feel bad. I really wasn't trying to make anyone cry. I swear.

**Geno beast: **I know. It's the pits. It's a really messed up situation.

**Katlynne: **Lol. Thanks. It really wasn't _that _short of a chapter hun;)

**Ladyevenstar22: **I honestly have no idea. It's just kind of how I deal with my goddaughter if I don't feel like spankin' her. If I tell her she's hurting me, or if I cry…she's a good kid. She doesn't like me to cry; of course, I'm totally faking it; but oh well. My godson on the other hand, he could care less if I cry, it doesn't hurt him. So I just have to spank him...or take away his video game. He nearly dies then. Lol.

**Readingred: **Don't worry, it is all figured out;)

**Lois Joanne Lane: **Thank you! I'm really glad you liked that chapter!

**Stupid me: **Lol. Drama indeed; and I'm sure you're not the only one who wants Jo'an to be their daughter. She's such a cutie.

**Gladius Grim: ** Thank you! You really seem to be enjoying this story and I appreciate it immensely.

**IHeart You13: **Wow what a review! And I feel so bad that you only got 4 hours of sleep. That sucks. But at the same time; I'm so happy you enjoyed yourself so much!

**Fan: **OMG! I'm so sorry! Why is everybody crying? I didn't mean it. Honest, you're making me feel awful. As for the time travel rules; they're kinda neither; but I can't really elaborate.

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Don't think so hard about the time travel rules. I do realize how confusing and irritating it can be. Lol, you should be ashamed of yourself . That is a totally selfish reason to want Jo'an to stay longer;)

**Clois fan: **Lol. It is quite the dilemma; and I think this is my fifth time writing this; but I really wasn't trying to make anyone cry. Sorry.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. Well thank you. I'm so glad you think I'm still doing so well, makes my head swell;)

**Gigga: **Lol, how does it feel to be caught up? I'm glad you're still enjoying this; and thank you!

**Cloismycel: **Whoa, long time no see! Glad you're all caught up now!

**Laura Redmond: **Thank you! I forgot about that story. I'll think about it, but more than likely if people keep asking, I'll probably end up doing it. I'm a pushover that way;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Oliver watches his niece look over the menu and realizes something. He's an idiot. What kind of a person takes a six year old to _this_ kind of restaurant. This kind of restaurant, which has candles everywhere serving as their only source of lighting, furniture that came from a tree so rare and fine it probably, and more than likely, had a name; and the walls... They were so rich with colors, reds, oranges, greens, browns, they appeared to be…snobby for lack of better word. Oliver would bet a lot of money that no one ever touches them for fear of not being worthy enough. Yeah, a _wall_ so snooty the snooty are afraid to touch them. What was he thinking?

He'd made reservations for two here so that he and Chloe could have their meeting; and when he realized Jo'an would be coming along, he just called the restaurant up and changed his reservation for two to a reservation for three. If he was smart, he would've cancelled the reservation all together and taken his niece to Burger King. Kids like that kind of stuff.

"Okay," Jo'an says before putting the menu down and smiling at Oliver. "I know what I want."

Chloe smiles over at the child. Her niece told her that she's been here before; but if Jo'an pronounces anything off this menu correctly, Chloe's going to kill Oliver for spoiling their niece. Jo'an shouldn't be able to pronounce half of the words on the menu; not even if they were fed to her and she was asked to regurgitate them back immediately. Jo'an is a product of Lois and Clark. She should want french-fries and milk.

"I want French fries and Pepsi," Jo'an says seriously.

Chloe laughs; she was close.

"Joey, I don't think they make French fries here. Why don't I order your food? I'll get something you'll like, I promise," Oliver answers.

Jo'an folds her arms over her chest and scowls at him while working her jaw from side to side.

It makes Oliver gulp a little. Jo'an can be just as intimidating as Lois at times; then he thinks back to when Chloe gave him the same exact look just a few days ago, and how nervous he'd been then. It'd probably be in his best interest to steer clear of all three of the Sullivan/Lane women.

"Uncle Bruce would make them do it," Jo'an announces sourly.

Oliver waits a beat before responding with an, "Uncle Bruce? Who is _Uncle _Bruce?"

"My uncle," Jo'an answers simply.

Chloe hides her laugh behind a couple of coughs. She doesn't know for sure, but she's pretty sure her niece is being evasive on purpose.

"Well does this Uncle Bruce have a last name?" Oliver rebuttals.

"Yes," Jo'an says, giving him another evasive answer and making Chloe laugh even harder. She's stopped pretending to be coughing and is feeling no guilt whatsoever for letting Oliver know she's amused by their niece's antics.

Oliver sends a brief scowl Chloe's way before giving his niece his full attention once again.

"Well?" He asks.

"Well what?"

"What is it?"

"What's what?"

"His last name?"

"Who's last name?"

Oliver works his jaw from side to side, just as his niece had done earlier, as Chloe starts wiping tears from her eyes. She's laughing _that _hard; but it's_ not_ that funny. Not to him.

"Your uncle's," Oliver tries again.

"Which uncle?"

Oliver takes a deep breath. This child…he's going to…to…He takes another deep breath before continuing.

"Joey, what is Uncle Bruce's last name?"

"Oh? _That_ uncle," Jo'an smiles. But that's it. That's all she says. He waits a few more seconds to make sure; but still nothing.

"Well?" He asks.

"Well what?"

"Chloe, make her stop!" Oliver practically shouts in absolute horror. Jesus! The kid can go all day…just dance circles around him and-

"Jo, go ahead and answer Uncle Ollie, I think he's had enough," Chloe laughs.

She gets an immediate "Okay" from Jo'an. Then she turns a little to address Oliver. "What are you going to do when you have your own kids? I'm not going to always be there to help."

"Yes you will, I'm not having any kids unless you're there to keep them from doing…_that,_" he nods his head in Jo'an's direction.

Chloe goes silent kind of abruptly; and her face begins to slowly turn red, confusing the crap out of Oliver.

"I'm sure you'll find someone to help you," she answers after a few seconds.

Oliver mentally kicks himself in the teeth. He had to. He'd just put his foot so far down his throat…what was he thinking when he said that?

It's quite simple really. He hadn't been thinking. It just kinda came out; and it's the truth. He would very much love for Chloe to stick around; maybe help him out with his kids if he had any; maybe even be their mo-

"Wayne," Jo'an says after her aunt and uncle seem to be finished talking. Well, they haven't said anything to each other in a long time so that must mean they're done anyway.

Oliver blinks a couple times as his niece pulls him out of his reverie. Wayne? Why did she just say…then he remembers; and honestly, how could he have forgotten that he'd he asked his niece to give him the last name of her uncle. But…

She just said Wayne…as in Bruce Wayne…as in _the_ Bruce Wayne of Wayne enterprises. Had to be. But…

"Since when is Bruce Wayne your uncle?"

"Since always," Jo'an shrugs. Uncle Bruce has been her uncle for as long as she can remember, and she can remember back pretty far. "Are you going to tell them to make me French fries like Uncle Bruce does? Please, Uncle Ollie?"

"So…you've been here before…with "Uncle Bruce?" is Oliver's answer.

"Yep."

"So…he always makes them make you a _special_ dish?"

"Yep."

"So…you guys come here a lot?"

"Well, sorta…not _here _a lot; but wherever we go, he lets me have French fries."

"So…he takes you a lot of places?"

"When he comes to visit for pleasure not business," Jo'an answers, lowering her voice a few octaves to imitate her uncle's deep voice when she says "pleasure not business." Her uncle's very strict. She learned quickly not to bother him when he came over for "business."

"And how often does he come over for pleasure?" Oliver asks.

"Oliver," Chloe sighs in exasperation. She has an idea of where this is headed.

Oliver tries, but he can't seem to stop himself. He can't understand why he feels irritated; almost jealous. He knows he's not Jo'an's only uncle. She's got A.C and Victor…even Bobo whom she absolutely adores; but for some reason this _Uncle _Bruce _thing_ just doesn't sit right with him.

"Who's house do you like to come over to the most; my house or Uncle Bruce's house?" Oliver asks flat out. And when Chloe rolls her eyes at him, he ignores her. He doesn't care that he sounded like a kindergartener. He really wants to know.

"You're house is fun Uncle Ollie,"

_Yes!_

"But Uncle Bruce has _way_ better toys."

"Oh?" Oliver sighs deflatedly; and he feels even worse when Chloe sends him a smile that's somewhere between sympathy and amusement.

"What kind of toys?" Oliver asks. Not because he's gonna go out and buy bigger and better ones for Jo'an to play with; but because…because…

"Really big _dangerous_ ones," Jo'an answers excitedly; a little too excitedly for someone who just said a "toy" was dangerous. "I'm not _allowed_ to play with them." She finishes after a pause.

Oliver and Chloe both raise their eyebrows. The way she just emphasized the word "allowed", it almost seems as though she's played with these "dangerous" toys before anyway.

"Hey Jo, you ever played with Uncle Bruce's toys before; even though they're dangerous?" Chloe asks.

"Not by myself."

"With _Uncle_ Bruce," Oliver concludes angrily. Who was he to let his niece play with dangerous toys? _He _would never let Joey play with dangerous toys. Bruce is an unfit par…uncle.

"Nope, with Dick."

"Dick?" Oliver scrunches his face as if he just came across an unpleasant smell. "Who is this _Dick_?

"Mommy calls him Grayson, he's my uncle."

Oliver Closes his mouth. The child has too many freakin' uncles.

Chloe gives a little giggle and stands up. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Me too," Jo'an announces, standing up as well. She doesn't have to go; but her uncle keeps asking a lot of questions, and she answered them all as nicely as she could so that maybe he could get her the French fries but he just kept asking _more_!

Oliver watches them go, smiling as Chloe reaches down and grabs Jo'an's hand. She'll make a wonderful mother…

Six minutes later, Oliver frowns and looks down at his watch. How long does it take to use the bathroom? He calms down almost immediately, and mentally shakes his head at himself for overreacting. It's common knowledge that ladies take longer in the bathroom than men.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Lois smiles as she drives passed the "Welcome to Smallville" sign. She'll be home in about fifteen minutes.

Then said smile is quickly replaced by a nervous frown. She'd spent exactly fifteen minutes at the Daily Planet before realizing that she wasn't going to be able to get any work done; that she couldn't concentrate on _anything_.

And it was all Clark's fault.

He kissed her; and it wasn't one of those bumbling accidental pecks he'd given her while rushing away to take care of an emergency just this morning. He kissed her on _purpose_…in front of _everybody;_ in front of her cousin, in front of her ex, in front of their daughter, and in front of _her_…Lana.

And she kinda liked it. Okay, so she liked it a lot. And that's why she can't stop smiling. But it's also why she can't stop frowning as well.

She's alone. Her daughter begged her for a whole six minutes to stay the night with her aunt and uncle; mostly because her time at the Daily Planet had been "boring" and she didn't want to ever experience that again. Then there was Oliver and Chloe, who kept saying she wouldn't be a problem; that they really didn't have anything _special _planned; and that they'd just take her out to dinner with them; and then each of them added a pretty please and a puppy dog pout onto their pretty faces.

In the end, Lois was forced to cave. The only reason she wasn't going to let Jo'an stay the night was because she had school in the morning; but her daughter reminded her that she could just _run _to school really fast; or if she didn't want her to go by herself, her daddy could _run _her to school really fast. So Lois didn't have an excuse to take the child with her. Not that she needed one; but she didn't have the heart to bore the child to death; not after she'd just made her cry so hard. Jo'an deserved a little fun.

Lois smiles slightly as she remembers what happened next. After she kissed her daughter goodbye; and warned her to make sure her uncle and aunt don't do any "wrestling", she realized she still wasn't dressed for work. She swore softly then; but her daughter told her not to be mad; and that she could take her home "real quick".

Before Lois could even think about an answer to that; she was lifted off the ground, not very high; but she was off the ground and in the arms of her daughter; her six year old daughter. She didn't have enough time to think about how weird it was before she was being set back down…in her bedroom…at the Kent Farm.

Whoa.

That had been what she told the child; and in response, Jo'an just shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal; like she does it all the time…and she probably does.

They both showered and changed; and then Jo'an zipped them back to Oliver's.

Lois can remember just how adorable Jo'an looked before she left her with Oliver and Chloe. She was wearing a dress; a green one with a white sash that she'd picked out because it was the color her uncle thought she looked best in.

The thought makes Lois frown…yet again. As happy as she is about Oliver being a constant father figure for her daughter in the future, she can't help but think that her daughter should've been picking out dresses based on what her father, Clark, likes to see her in.

That's on her list of things to talk to Clark about when he gets home.

Lois checks the time; her nerves coming back quickly. She'll be home in thirteen minutes. Alone.

She sent Clark a text hours ago; telling him that they needed to talk…tonight.

He text back almost immediately with a, "before or after Jo'an goes to sleep?"

That was when the nervousness first started; that was when she first realized that a Jo'an with Oliver and Chloe makes an alone Lois and Clark…all night.

She sent a text to Clark, telling him that Jo'an wasn't going to be there, he sent one back a second later asking where she was.

He didn't text back immediately when she told him where Jo'an was, and where she _would _be all night; and it worried Lois a little. Of course she realized there was a good chance he was busy dismantling a bomb; but then, there was also a chance that he realized what a Jo'an with Oliver and Chloe meant for a Lois and Clark as well. That they'd be alone…together…at night.

But then he sent a text that said "I'll be home as soon as I can," and she couldn't stop the smile that just appeared out of nowhere and fastened itself onto her lips. They were like a family; a real family.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Thursday December 2nd .


	51. Chapter 51

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. Thank you! I figured you guys were missing some Oliver and Jo'an interaction.

**Readingred: **Lol. I'm sure you are!

**BeccaBright: **Aww, thanks! Your favorite so far, yay!

**Wtchcool: **Lol. I think it has something to do with legal copyright stuff. That's the only reasn I can think up…

**Gladius Grim: ** Lol. Of course Jo'an likes pepsi!

**Quathis: **Yay! I made you laugh. That makes me happy!

**Batgirl2992: **Lol. Who doesn't love a jealous Ollie?

**Madlenita: **Lol. You're very welcome! I knew you would enjoy the Chlollie moment

**Nightwing 509, C im am a dragon, Jeremy Shane, eternal density: **Thanks!

**Darthphoenixfire: **I'm so happy you were satisfied by the way I handled your request; and everyone seemed to like it as well!

**Nequam-tenshi: **I'm happy you're alright now. Lol.

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Thank you! I tried to lighten the mood a little; and Jo'an pretty relaxed around her uncle so…

**Geno beast: **Lol. I know right.

**IHeart You13: **Thank you! I had so much fun writing that scene!

**Katlynne: **Lol. It really makes me laugh to hear that you guys laughed so hard. Thank you!

**T: **Lol. Not my fault, it was a request. I had to.

**LoisLaneRocks: **Lol, sorry. I do like getting praise but when I get a lot I just…blush; I'm really weird like that. Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying this so much.

**Shopgirl909 and Fan: **Sorry, huge typo. Must've happened when I was doing some cutting and pasting and backspacing and adding. Don't worry, once I'm done, I'm going through the whole story and fixing it.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Lol. I know what you mean, I nearly strangled my goddaughter half a dozen times behind that kind of behavior. But it was funny when I thought back on it. Thank you!

**Mayicita: **Lol. Oh the possibilities indeed!

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Your mind is sooo in the gutter right now!

**Solipoli: **Aww, I'm sorry I missed your birthday hun; but I barely have time to post when I say I will. I hope you understand….I really do feel bad; but I hope your birthday was a fantastic day for you!

**Stupid me: **Lol. French fries do rule!

**Hot chocolate: **Lol. Please don't be mad at me.

**Pompeypearly: **Lol. You're right. She has.

**Lois Joanne Lane: **Lol. Don't worry "Uncle Bruce" and Lois never dated. She just calls him uncle because he's a member of the JL.

**Tessfan: **Lol. I loved that you seemed to love the whole chapter; well except for the fact that the chapter ended;)

**gigga: **Lol, it wasn't that short…sorta;)

**iheartBL: **Hi! Glad you're all caught up! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Ladyevenstar22: **Lol, not you too! It wasn't that short of a chapter; maybe you just enjoyed yourself too much. You know what they say about how fast time flies when you're having fun;)

**Julia: **I'm going to say thank you, and hope you're giving me a compliment;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark is tired. Not so much physically in a sense. He could run around all day without breaking a sweat; but right now he's exhausted, and stressed out, and anxious.

First, the constant worrying over these children's lives is putting a strain on him. Having to save this child, and get to that child on time, and thinking about the next child with a special "toy" in his or her bedroom is mentally wearing him down.

The first one had been the easiest; and had gone off without a hitch despite the fact that they arrived with only ten seconds to spare. The next one was a little harder, riddle wise; but still easy enough to figure out. They'd been given an extra five seconds; and honestly, they really didn't even need them.

For the next few hours, they went on like that, the riddles steadily and subtly becoming just a little harder to solve with every new child; and a few more seconds had been added to their time limit in order to give them the chance to save that little boy or girl. For that, he is thankful.

The second thing that's bothering him is not the fact that each "toy" that needs to be removed requires two of him to do it; but the fact that he and Lana are working so well together despite the facts that she's barely said a word to him; and her face has been an unreadable mask since their first save.

It's confusing; she doesn't seem angry; which she has every right to be he figures; and she doesn't seem sad; which she has every right to be he also figures. She doesn't seem to be feeling _anything_; like maybe she's in shock or something; but…she seems too clearheaded to be shocked. She's functioning rationally; _more_ than rationally in fact as she's solved a little more than half of the riddles before him.

It's almost like she didn't see what happened at all; like she didn't see him tell his daughter that he loved her; and to be good for her mommy, who's name isn't Lana Lang. It's almost like she didn't see him kiss Lois, or hear him tell her they're compatible; but he knows that she did. Lana saw and heard everything; but she's acting like she didn't; like maybe she's in denial. That _has _to be it. She's in denial; but…if she's in denial about what she saw and heard, why isn't she acting like he and she, Lana and Clark, are still dating?

She hasn't tried to hug him, or hold his hand, or even _touch_ him at all. So she knows they're over in a sense; although it hasn't been confirmed verbally; so, she's_ not_ in denial…So, what _is _she thinking?

And just as he wonders what she's thinking, he's reminded of another woman he keeps wishing he knew what she was/is thinking; and the other reason he's so anxious. Lois Lane.

She's probably at home right now, waiting for him to get there so that they can "talk" and be alone…together; and that's what's making him the most anxious.

When he'd first gotten the text that his daughter would be with Chloe and Oliver, he'd been okay with it. He sent a text to Chloe; asking her if she was okay, and if Jo'an was behaving. She sent a very long text back immediately, with an "lol" and a, "Jo'an is doing fine; but driving her uncle crazy;" and that they were "on their way to the ladies room." The next line, which was, "enjoy your night; but remember Jo'an isn't conceived for nearly another year;)," is what made him fully realize what a Jo'an with Uncle Ollie and Aunt Chloe all night meant. He was going to be with Lois alone.

He sent Lois a quick message, telling her he'd be home as soon as he could; or something like that. He couldn't really focus. He was simultaneously dismantling a bomb while wondering whether or not he and Lois would still share the same bed without their daughter there to act as the "your side, my side line." He could try to go in there anyway; pretend like he forgot Jo'an wasn't there; like it was habit to sleep with Lois; although they'd only been sleeping together for a few days.

But it was _kinda_ true. He _had _gotten used to sharing his bed with Lois; and the fact that whenever he woke up they were uh…_touching_.

"Clark!"

Clark turns and faces Lana, subconsciously realizing she'd been trying to get his attention for a good seven or so seconds now. He feels guilty immediately, not just for ignoring her just now; but for neglecting her completely for the past few days. He hadn't called her, or stopped by Nell's to see her; he hadn't even given her any of his leftover thoughts. He should apologize to her; explain what happened. He owes her that much; but just as he opens his mouth to begin, Lana snatches his phone away from him.

Lana opens up Clark's phone quickly, he'd gotten a text nearly ten seconds ago; but he didn't answer it. She realizes it's not her place to do so; that it could be a private message from…someone who isn't trying to murder an innocent child; but at the same time, The Toyman had been giving them instructions via text message; and he'd been alternating between Clark's and Lana's phone. And since Lana got the last text; that could only mean it's Clark's turn. But he'd been too busy staring and frowning at no one to notice his phone going off.

When she reads it, she gives it back to him immediately and runs off, hoping that it didn't mean what she thought it meant.

Clark blinks after her before looking down at his phone; then he can feel his blood run cold. The other messages were riddles and he'd, _they'd_ been given anywhere from one to five minutes to solve it and save the child. This message is so straightforward that he hopes it _is_ a riddle; but he knows that it's not. "Kent Barn, 15 seconds," can only mean one thing. There is only one child who would be in the Kent farm.

_Jo'an._

At the thought of his daughter, Clark takes off. He's still hoping he read the text wrong. He had to. Jo'an's with Chloe and Oliver; but then he realizes the last time he'd heard about his daughter was nearly three hours ago, that's plenty of time for…no, he wouldn't think about it; because then he'd have to wonder what happened to his friends…to Chloe and Oliver.

Despite the fact that Lana had a full second's head start; he arrived just milliseconds behind her. His sole focus had been on getting to his daughter as soon as possible; even the sight of Lois pulling up to the farm hadn't put a dent in his concentration. He needed to get to his daughter.

Once he's in the barn, he doesn't particularly stop to take in the sight before himself; but he sees it just the same. Right there, in the center of his barn, is a cage; and it's not just _any_ cage. He's been in that cage before, he watched Davis nearly die in that cage; he knows what it can do, how much kryptonite it can emit; and now his daughter, his little girl is in that cage.

"Daddy, help me, please," Jo'an whimpers.

She's standing up, her palms pressed against the glass. She's wearing a green dress, and it looks beautiful on her; but he doesn't pay attention to it. His eyes are focused on her face; she's trembling so hard; and she's crying even harder. She didn't have to ask him for help. He was already coming for her.

But just before he reaches her, she screams and falls to the ground. Clark fights it as hard as he can; but he falls as well. There's just too much kryptonite.

He tries to get up; to keep his eyes open; but he can't; and even though he's in so much pain, his thoughts are on his daughter. He's several feet away from the cage and he can barely keep from passing out; but Jo'an, his baby, she's _in _the cage.

Then the pain stops abruptly; and Clark looks up to see Lana suspended in the air. Immediately, he realizes she's absorbing the kryptonite.

Impatiently he waits for her to finish, and the second she drops back down onto the ground and the green glow has disappeared from the cage, he gets up and staggers toward his daughter. It's harder than it should be. He should be feeling ninety percent better now; but he's not. He can still feel the effects of kryptonite. He looks around himself, and his eyes focus on Lana. Instinctively he knows that she is now radiating the effects of kryptonite. That she's making him "sick;" just as his daughter said she would one day.

"Get away from us!" he yells a little more harshly than he actually means to; but he needs to get to Jo'an and he can't really function around Lana.

Lana blinks a few times before moving away. She knows what he meant. She knows that she can't be around him without hurting him anymore, without making him "sick" as the little girl said when she first met her; but at the same time, it still hurt.

She looks down at her phone just as it goes off. She can hear Clark's go off as well; and as soon as she reads the message she knows that they were both sent the same one.

"You took something special from me," it starts off. "I'm returning the favor. Your child will never be. LL."

Lana looks over at Clark and watches him rock the lifeless child in his arms. It's a heartbreaking sight; but she can't bring herself to feel the sadness she should because that's not her child. Lex is wrong. Jo'an can still very well "be."

She leaves then. There's no point in her staying. She can't comfort Clark. She'll just make him "sick".

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Monday December 6th .


	52. Chapter 52

**Turner Child, Geno beast: **Thank you!

**Fictionaddict24: **Lol. Don't worry, all of that is already written.

**Stupid me: **Lol. That was six words; but yeah, poor Lana and Jo'an.

**Monaivendork: **Thank you; and I'm happy you were just kidding about hunting me down;)

**Clois Harley: **Don't worry hun, Clois can still make Jo'an in the future.

**So loong: **You guys are so spoiled! Lol. Four days is not a long time. We have to wait a full week to watch Smallville on Fridays.

**LoisLaneRocks: **Lol, Thank you so much; and I really think it will be more appropriate for Lois to do the smacking instead of you. That's her baby; although you guys seem to like Jo'an so much, it's kinda scary sometimes;)

**Batgirl2992: **Thanks!

**Laura Redmond: **Lol. Longer? I definitely won't get any sleep then. I _am _sorry you think the chapters are so short; but all my chapters, except for the first one, are at least 1,500 words; also, the holidays hours are taking away all of my time. I hardly ever get home before 12am anymore. Sorry.

**Quathis: **Lol, no, in Clark's thoughts, I mention how it had been nearly 3 hours since he spoke to Chloe, who was in the ladies room with Jo'an. That was where I left off with the Chloe, Jo'an, Oliver scene in the previous chapter; but I kinda rushed this chapter so I'm not surprised if things didn't come out right. Once I'm done with this story, I'm going to go back and fix _everything_.

**Briellehalliwell1018: **It always makes me nervous when you guys yell at me with the all caps thing. I'm sorry, but as Lana said at the end of the chapter. Jo'an can still be conceived. Thank you for reviewing; I'm glad you enjoyed it;)

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks! The 'Jo'an talk to me…er daddy' slip tickled me. Thank you for that! I always need the laugh.

**Anita the angel: **Sorry, I can only update when I say I will. I'm sorry you're feeling so tense; but I hope you still enjoy the story.

**Clois 16: **Lol. Quit rushing me, Lois will be there soon. I did mention Clark passing her on his way in. Oh, and it makes me feel bad when you guys cry. Remember, Clark and Lois can still make Jo'an in about a year.

**Katlynne: **I'm sorry you had such an awful day hun, but I am glad I was able to cheer you up some.

**Lilbit4: **No need to apologize, and I know Clark and Lois are gonna have a hard time with this. I feel bad for them.

**Foxicully: **Yes that was a bit of drama there, lol. And it is nice to know that people from all over are enjoying this story. It makes me feel good. Thank you for that;) Lol. I did enjoy the title of the story as well, I was just being a bit silly I guess.

**Mayicita: **Thank you! It was a pretty heavy chapter. And even though I don't like Laa either, I'm glad you acknowledged that she did do the right thing. She could've let Jo'an die; but I think if she did that, Clark would never forgive her…so in a way, she really didn't have a choice now that I think about it.

**The bloody drover: **I know right? I thought it would be funny if they were still a little nervous about the _touching_.

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Thank you; I had so much fun reading your reply. I'm still laughing at the fact that your mind is always in the gutter.

**Solipoli: **You're welcome!

**Faithfullyfallen417:** Lol. I am not evil.

**gigga: **Lol, thanks! I try.

**Jeremy Shane: **Thanks! Stupid Lex indeed.

**Fan: **just like in the show, Lana was infected; but just a little;. She didn't have enough kryptonite in her system to hurt Clark. She didn't become dangerous to Clark until she absorbed the kryptonite bomb. Hope you understand now.

**Joanne loves bb, C im am a dragon, Clois fan: **Thank you!

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **Lol. Those exams are very important hun, so don't worry about me.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Seriously? Why does everybody call me evil? It's just a story guys. Lol, JK. I know what you mean.

**Ladyevenstar22: **Honey, I don't think you're confused. I think you're in denial. Sorry about that.

**Darthphoenixfire, Lois Joanne Lane, and troyellacloisgarmor: **You know what I just realized; I posted the wrong chapter for chapter fifty. I accidently posted the rough draft. Before I posted the chapter I switched dinner with Ollie with Lois's ride home. You guys were supposed to read the Chloe, Jo'an and Oliver scene first. Sorry about that.

**Nequam-tenshi: **Yes he does.

**Julianna: **Thanks! I'm so happy you like this so much. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**iheartBL: **Thank you! I'm glad I can keep you on your toes, not too thrilled about the almost tears. Not trying to make anyone cry. I promise. It makes me uneasy.

**Garces 01: **Thank you! Long time no see! I hope you like the rest of the story. You really put a lot of pressure on me there; with the bit about knowing the end would be "awesome"

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Lois still has the nervous smile on her face as she gets out of her car; she can still feel her heart racing from the anticipation of spending a whole night alone with Clark; and she _still_ doesn't quite know what she actually _wants_ to happen.

That's when she hears the scream…a child's scream; and the next thought she has after that is of her own child; Jo'an. But it can't be Jo'an; Jo'an was…_is _in Metropolis with Chloe and Oliver; and she doesn't see Oliver or Chloe's car anywhere around.

In the back of her mind, she does realize that her daughter doesn't necessarily _need _three hours and a car to get from point Metropolis to point Smallville; but at the same time, she knows that her daughter wouldn't dare run away again; not after the long talk she just had with the child. So that couldn't have been Jo'an screaming like that. It was someone else's child.

There's no time for the denial theory to recede, or for her to feel guilty for wishing pain on someone else's child, before she spots a sudden eerie glow in the barn. Seconds later, she hears Clark yell out a frightened, "Get away from us!"

She doesn't know who he's talking to; someone dangerous enough to scare Clark and make her baby scream obviously, meaning Lois doesn't have a fighting chance; but she doesn't care.

She realizes all of this subconsciously though; it's without a thought that she races over to the barn as fast as her human body will allow her.

The first thing Lois sees when she bursts through the barn doors is some kind of glass cage. She can't help it. Her eyes are automatically drawn to it because it's dead center in the middle of the barn.

Inside of that cage is Clark…only, she doesn't recognize him for who he is at first; and it's not just because he's turned around, his back facing her.

Clark is a very tall man, even when he's sitting down, even when he's laying down, even when his shoulders are hunched over because he's 'moping' for some reason or other; but that man in the cage, he's a very small man. He looks exhausted, utterly defeated; he just doesn't look like Clark at all; and all of this she can see without having seen his face.

"Clark?" Lois calls softly.

He doesn't respond to her; he never even looks up to acknowledge her presence. He just stays as he is. That's when Lois first notices the way he's rocking back and forth; like he's trying to put a small child to sleep.

She walks toward him; each step getting slightly more unstable than the previous one.

"Clark," she calls just a little louder; but her voice is still no louder than a whisper.

He still doesn't respond to her, not until she takes a step into the cage; and even then, he doesn't respond to her verbally. He just turns his head a little and looks up at her.

Immediately, her eyes slide down to his arms. It was the look on his face that made her do it, as well as the tears in his eyes. She's never been a mother before; and he's never been a father before; so she can't say that she's seen that look before; but instinctively she knew what it meant.

They'd lost their child.

"Clark, what happened?" she hears herself ask quietly. She realizes that she's having a moment; that she's suffering from shock and some extreme forms of denial. That's the only reason she hasn't rushed to his side and snatched the child from his arms. That's the only reason her eyes are still dry and her throat is still clear.

Clark doesn't answer Lois's question. He just turns his attention back onto the motionless child in his arms.

Lois watches him kiss Jo'an's forehead and tell her how sorry he is.

She begins to shake her head from side to side slowly as the shock and denial begin to ebb away.

Then Clark tells their daughter how much he loves her; how much he'll _always _love her; and Lois snaps out of her stupor immediately.

The way he's talking to the child…it's as if she's…as if she's….

Lois rushes to Clark's side and tries to take Jo'an away from her father; but he doesn't let go of her.

"Give her to me!" Lois yells.

Clark blinks at Lois slowly. He doesn't want to let Jo'an go, not ever; but the way Lois looks right now; the look on her face…it's scary. Not her usual "he just screwed up" scary; but she looks…deranged. It's the only word that comes to mind and he sticks with it. Not a lot of words have come to mind since his daughter…got hurt.

As soon as Lois has Jo'an in her arms, all denial and shock fly out the window. Her baby isn't smiling, or laughing, or talking, or crying, or screaming. She's not moving at all.

"Do something!" she yells at Clark.

Clark doesn't respond. What can he do?

"Who did this?" she screams while rocking Jo'an back and forth.

Clark doesn't respond at first. The Toyman probably did it; but he suspects Lex is the mastermind behind it. It seemed like something Lex would do; have him save hundreds of children, distracting him from the one child he should have been protecting all along, but had neglected. Yeah, it was very Lex-like. He would love the irony; as well as reinforcing the theory of how superheroes are meant to be alone.

"Clark!" Lois yells when he doesn't answer.

"Lex," he answers quietly.

"Find him," she rebuttals immediately.

"Lois, it won't help"-

"Find him!" Lois yells louder.

Clark looks at Lois. He watches the way she's rocking the still child in her arms for a second before kissing both of his girls and doing as Lois asked. He knows that finding Lex won't help his daughter; but he has a feeling that it might make him feel just a little bit better if he gets the chance to wrap his hands around the older man's neck until he stops breathing.

As soon as Clark leaves, Lois pulls Jo'an up closer to her face, and buries her face in the child's hair.

"Jo'an?" Lois sobs.

No answer. She doesn't expect one; but she wants one. She wants one so bad.

"Jo'an please; don't leave me."

Still no answer.

"Jo'an, answer Mommy, please," Lois pleads as she begins to cry in earnest.

She'll probably never stop.

_Answer Mommy when she's calling you!_

Jo'an remembers that. Her daddy yelled it at her because she didn't answer her mommy at the lake; and because she didn't answer her mother, she almost drowned; she almost _died_. She doesn't want her mommy to ever die.

But she's too tired to answer. She wants to sleep.

"Junior, _please_ answer mommy. _Please_ baby."

"Mommy?" Jo'an mutters. She's too tired to talk, but her mommy just called her 'baby', just like she used to. She misses her mommy so much.

Lois pauses with the rocking and crying for just a second. She thought she just heard her daughter speak.

"Junior?" Lois asks hesitantly while staring down at Jo'an's face. She doesn't want to get her hopes up. She's too afraid that her child's voice had been a figment of her imagination; that her brain just let her hear what she wanted to hear as some twisted form of a coping mechanism.

"Sleepy."

Lois's heart skips not one, but about four beats. They weren't important anyway. Her baby spoke. She saw her lips move.

"Junior, open your eyes," Lois says softly.

Jo'an nearly frowns. She doesn't want to open her eyes. She wants to go to sleep. Opening her eyes is _not_ how she's gonna get any sleep.

"Sleepy," she says again.

Lois starts to panic. She doesn't want Jo'an to go to "sleep." Not ever.

"Baby please, open your eyes for Mommy," Lois pleads.

Jo'an whimpers. She wants to go to sleep; not because she's sleepy; but because she's hurt all over, and she instinctively knows she wouldn't feel anything if she was asleep.

Lois watches a tear form at the corner of her child's eye; and when it begins to slide down the side of Jo'an's face, she moves her hand to wipe it away; but then Jo'an speaks and Lois pauses at her words.

She doesn't know what to do. Her daughter just said, "Mommy, I hurt." How bad of a person would it make her if she asked Jo'an to open her eyes anyway? How selfish would it make her to ask her child to endure the pain just so that _she _wouldn't have to suffer the loss of said child?

"Don't cry," Jo'an mumbles in alarm. She can't go to sleep if she knows her mother is crying. She hates it when her mommy cries. Lanes don't cry.

Lois doesn't answer her. She can't. Her daughter is going to die because she can't bring herself to make the child stay up and endure more pain. How can she possibly stop crying?

Jo'an sighs deeply when she realizes that her mommy's not going to stop crying. She opens her eyes slowly. It hurts so much; but she does it anyway. Maybe if she does it, her mommy will stop crying so she can finally go to sleep.

"Hey, there's my beautiful baby," Lois sobs when Jo'an opens her eyes before kissing the child's face over and over again.

"Stop crying," Jo'an whimpers.

"Okay," Lois laughs shakily. Her daughter's face is set in the most adorable pout she's ever seen. Maybe she'll be okay. But then Jo'an closes her eyes, trying to go to sleep again, and Lois starts crying again.

Jo'an starts to get irritated with Lois. She opened her eyes already. She answered her already. Why can't she go to sleep now?

"_Mommy_, stop crying. Please," Jo'an whimpers.

Lois pulls Jo'an closer to her chest. "I don't want you to leave me," she tells the child.

Jo'an sighs deeply. She needs somebody else to tell her mother to let her go to sleep. She's not listening to her. Where's her daddy? He'll do it. He was just here a minute ago? She heard him. Or Aunt Chloe, or Uncle Ollie. They can maybe make her mommy listen to her.

That's when she remembers something important about her aunt and uncle. They're still in the van. Her daddy is supposed to go get them. That's what the man on the phone said.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Friday December 11th. I know you probably don't trust me because I was late with this one; but in my defense, I was supposed to be off Sunday, but I got called into work and I didn't have the time to finish it. I haven't been off in nearly a weak and my hours have gotten extremely long because of the holidays. I _never_ get home before 12am anymore; but I'm off Thursday, for real this time, so there's no reason you shouldn't have your YMDS fix Friday morning before I leave for work;)

Also, I wanted to do a Christmas fic for you guys; so if you can answer these two questions for me, I'll really appreciate it. You can answer in a reply or send me private message. Either way is fine.

Rating? K, K+, T, or M…..personally I would love to do a K+ rated fic; but it's up to you.

Who? Lois, Clark, Jo'an, Martha, Bobo (Bart), Victor, Ollie, Chloe, A.C., Bruce, Dick, Kara, Tess, etc….the top 8 or 9 characters are who I will use. Personally I think it would be fun to have Ollie and Bruce there together. I think that it would be funny to see who gets Joey the better gift; but again it's up to you.

As always, majority rules!


	53. Chapter 53

Nearly ten minutes have passed since Clark left his Child and her mother in the barn. Now he's back, and his daughter and her mother are _still _in the Barn.

He watches the scene quietly for a few seconds; and he listens even harder. She's talking. His daughter, Jo'an, is talking. It's the most beautiful sound in the world to him.

She's telling her mother to stop crying; and she sounds…_mad_.

He'd laugh; but he…can't.

He takes a few steps toward them, his footsteps heavy and loud; but Lois doesn't turn around to acknowledge him. She's crying; hard. She probably can't hear him.

Clark takes a deep breath and a few more steps toward Lois and Jo'an; only pausing long enough to look at the cage enclosing his family and to wish they weren't in it still. It makes him uneasy and angry, all at the same time.

"Daddy," Jo'an whimpers.

All thoughts of the cage and anger float away when he hears Jo'an speak his name. His daughter needs him.

Quickly, he enters the cage; and this time Lois turns a little to look at him.

'I'm not crying.'

That's what he expects her to say when he sees her tear streaked face. It's what she always says.

Not this time.

This time, she just lifts her eyebrows in an inquiring manner. He's not a mind reader, but he knows what she's asking. She wants to know if he found Lex.

The answer is no.

He didn't have a clue as to where his ex-best friend could've been; but he wasn't worried about it. He'd find him. All he needed was for Chloe to work a little magic and then he'd be able to pay a visit to Luthor.

And as soon as he had that thought, he remembered something important about his friend.

He didn't know where she was.

She and Oliver had been watching his child; and his child was at the farm, having just taken a massive dose of kryptonite. So where were his child's "Aunt" and "Uncle"?

He pulled out his cell, knowing that the chances of Chloe answering hers was slim, and saw that he had two unread messages. He seriously doubted either came from one of his friends but he read them anyway.

The first one nearly made him crush his phone with just one quick tighten of his fist. It was from Lex; and the sick bastard was gloating about taking something "special" from him. How could anyone compare a child, a living, breathing, innocent child, to a suit!

He opened the next text. It was another message from Winslow.

The game was over. He had to go collect his prize. Instinctively, he knew that his "prize" was people, Chloe and Oliver, and he sped off in the direction given to him.

"Daddy," Jo'an whimpers again, pulling Clark out of his reverie. It's just as well. He doesn't want to think about what happened next anyway. It doesn't matter. He's gonna fix it. Briefly, his thoughts go to the ring in his pocket before he gives Jo'an his full attention.

"Daddy's here," he tells the little girl before sitting down next to Lois and reaching out for her.

He notices Lois's grip tighten on the child, and he rests a comforting arm around Lois's waist instead.

"Aunt Chloe," Jo'an says; and Clark has to squeeze Lois closer to his side, trying to offer comfort that he needs himself. Jo'an sounds like she's struggling so hard to speak, like it's unbelievably painful for her to move her lips to form the words.

"Shh, I found Aunt Chloe," he tells her while placing a hand on her head and running his fingers through her hair. "And Uncle Ollie too. They're fine," he tells her. She doesn't need the truth right now. Neither does Lois. They wouldn't be able to take it right now. _He _can't even take it right now.

"Daddy," Jo'an frowns and it causes him to panic a little. What if she was able to pick up on the fact that he was lying to her; that something _is _wrong with her aunt and uncle; that they're in the hospital…_again_, and that he doesn't know if they'll get better this time?

"Make Mommy stop crying," his daughter finishes.

"Okay," Clark agrees immediately; although he doesn't know how he's supposed to do that when all he wants to do is cry as well.

He turns to face Lois and she immediately shakes her head in response.

"She wants to go to sleep," Lois sniffs. "She can't sleep while I'm crying."

"Lois," Clark sighs before reaching his hand to her face. "Let her go to sleep."

Lois's eyes widen, and she shakes her head again. "I don't want her to go to sleep."

"She's _tired _Lois."

Lois doesn't answer for a while; and Clark stops expecting one when she lets out a quiet, "what if she doesn't wake up?"

"She will," Clark reassures her straightaway.

"How do you know that?"

"Lois, trust me," Clark says firmly. "Jo'an will be fine."

"Promise?" she asks softly.

"I promise," Clark answers sincerely.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Jo'an's family tells her she's special. That's why she has to be careful around other kids; around other people. That's why she can run fast; faster than them, faster than their cars, even faster than the choo-choo train. That's why when she snuck into her daddy's loft and opened up the metal box in his old desk, the little green rock inside hurt her.

She falls down.

She's never been hurt before. Never felt any type of pain in her whole entire life. Tears spring to her eyes, and she clutches at her stomach.

"I'm sorry," she sobs, logic suggesting to her that this is punishment for running away from grandma, for sneaking up here.

She's been told numerous times not to touch her daddy's stuff. But she couldn't help it. She's never met her father before; has never even seen his face. Well, that's not entirely true. She's seen plenty of pictures. Her mommy even let her have a few to herself; but it's not enough. It's not nearly enough.

All her life, there've been people to tell her about her father, about what kind of man he was... is. She just wanted to see for herself. She figured if she could touch some of her daddy's old belongings, he'd be much more real to her. She would've never thought there'd be anything in his loft that could hurt her.

A bead of sweat lazily rolls down her forehead, and drops into her eye. Although the sting irritates more than hurts her, she cries even harder. Sweating is another thing she's never done before, and the fact that she's too hurt to even wipe it from her eyes, makes her feel even more helpless.

"Grandma," she gasps.

She's not sure why. Her grandma's at The Talon. And her grandma doesn't hear as good as her.

'What would Mommy do?' she thinks to herself.

It's hard for her to concentrate while in so much pain, but she's absolutely determined to come up with something.

She lets out one of her mommy's favorite 'grown up words' and instantly regrets it. Being 'bad' is the reason she's in this mess to begin with. She begins promising no one in particular that if she finds a way to make the pain stop, she'll say no more bad words, she'll do everything her grandma says, she'll be good in school...

At the thought of school, an idea comes to her. They just had a fire safety drill; and the stop, drop, and roll exercise is what she remembers most. It was the most fun out of the whole lesson. All the other stuff bored her. She can't get burned, and suffering from smoke inhalation is unlikely.

Using all of her might she manages to roll herself away from the glowing rock. Just a little, but it helps some. She can breathe better at least. Bracing her palm against the floor, she rolls over again.

Her mouth forms a complete "o" of surprise when there's suddenly nothing beneath her. She's falling; she'd rolled over too far.

The fall lasted no more than three seconds, but if asked, she'd swear on her life that it was more like three minutes. She lands on her back, hitting her head hard on the ground. She shuts her eyes real tight and cries. She wants her grandma, she wants her mommy, she even wants her father. The man she's never, but is dying to meet.

She frowns when she opens her eyes again. Everything looks...funny. It 's almost as if...she slowly realizes she's looking through things; that it is x-ray vision. She shuts her eyes and opens them again, wanting her vision to go back to normal. It doesn't work. She sits up and draws her knees up against her chest. Folding her arms across them, she lays her forehead on top. '

What should I do now?'

Just then, something catches her eye. It's a ring, and it's hidden beneath the floor boards, right underneath her feet. Curiosity quickly replaces anything she'd been feeling just seconds ago. She lifts the floor board and her vision abruptly changes back to normal. She blinks a couple times, then focuses her attention on the no longer hidden ring. She'd just promised 'whoever' that she be good. That she'd listen to her grandmother; and her grandma's always telling her not to touch her daddy's things but...she reaches in and grabs the ring, the need to be closer to her father making her forget all about her recent encounter with the green rock.; and the promises she'd just made.

When she puts the ring on, she closes her eyes as an uncomfortable sensation lurks in her tummy. It's over within seconds. She opens her eyes and puts the ring back where she found it, not really paying attention to the fact that she has to lift the floor board again. She doesn't even notice the other ring hidden there. All she knows, is that she is never going to touch her daddy's things again. They aren't fun toys.

At that moment, Clark walks into the barn. He'd just been here not even an hour ago; but that was a different time.

"That was _not _fun. He needs better toys."

Clark smiles at the little girl in his barn as she mutters to herself. She hasn't seen him yet. She's too focused on the task at hand; putting the ring back under the barn floorboard.

It's so good to see her up and about. The last time he saw her, she was in too much pain move. He convinced her mother to let the child rest; then he carried them both upstairs.

He stayed in bed with them, rubbing both of their backs until Lois fell asleep.

Then he kissed them both and left.

"Hello Jo'an," Clark says loud enough to catch the child's attention.

She looks up just as she's putting the floorboard back into place and freezes.

"Daddy?" she gasps.

"Shouldn't you be at The Talon with Grandma Martha?" he chastises lightly.

"Okay," Jo'an sighs as she gets up to her feet. "Maybe I shouldn'tna run away, but I was just _looking_ at your stuff."

Clark laughs at his daughter before taking a few giant steps toward her. The fact that he's not supposed to be here on earth, but is standing right before her doesn't seem to confuse, or bother, her.

"Just looking huh?" he asks while clasping his hands together behind his back.

"Yep," Jo'an answers.

"You didn't touch anything?"

"Well, I might've touched _some _stuff; but nothing _special_."

"_Nothing_ special?"

"Nope, nothing special."

"Not even a ring?"

Jo'an frowns at Clark suspiciously. "How did you _know_ that?"

Clark just smiles down at her out of pure amusement before bending down, removing the floorboard, and taking one of the rings out.

"Hold out your hand," he tells Jo'an.

She shakes her head. "I don't like that ring," is her answer.

He smiles at her again and pulls something out of his pocket.

"This is for you," he says after dangling a necklace in front of her face. "It's got a picture of us in it."

"A picture of _us_? But…but…"

He can see the confusion finally coming into play. He's supposed to be away; "with the Kandorians," as she explained to him days ago.

"Do you want to see it or not?" he asks, relying on the Lois in her to get her to do what he wants.

"Yes," she answers immediately while holding her hand out. Just as he thought it would, her curiosity has gotten the best of her.

"You have to do something first."

"What?"

"You have to close your eyes."

She gives him another suspicious look before doing as she's told.

"Now think about what Grandma Martha was doing just before you left her."

"Okay," she says a little too quickly before cracking one eye open.

"Jo'an, concentrate," Clark reprimands gently.

"Okay, okay," she grumbles before closing her eyes again.

"What was Grandma doing?"

"Buying coffee."

"What kind of coffee?"

She shrugs her shoulders.

"What did the lady at the counter look like?"

"A man."

"She looked like a man? That's not very nice Jo'an."

"No," Jo'an sighs heavily; as if her father's an idiot. "She _was_ a man Daddy."

"Right," Clark thanks his lucky stars that his daughter's eyes are closed. That way she can't see him blush. "Well, what did the man look like?"

Jo'an thinks really hard before giving him a description; and as she's explaining the man to her father, Clark quickly slips two folded letters he's written into Jo'an's hand, and the ring onto her finger.

She disappears; just as he knew she would; but he wishes he had more time with her.

He sighs before pulling the other ring out of his pocket and putting it onto his finger.

Now for the hard part.

He only has a year to convince Lois to fall in love with him. It's going to be hard because before Jo'an showed up, she hated his guts. Now it will be as if Jo'an had never been there, and Lois is going to be back to her normal Smallville-hating self.

He doesn't have a choice though. Not if he wants to see his daughter again.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)~~

**A/N: **Really sorry guys. I'm really late…_again_. So I didn't have time to reply to you individually. Thank you all for your many _many _reviews; and thank you for responding to the Christmas fic question. So far, I've got the rating; k+ yay! And as for the characters you seem to want the Kents plus Ollie, Bruce, and…_Tess_? Now, I love love love Tess Mercer, but I really thought I was nearly alone in that one. I guess you guys enjoyed last Friday's episode "Luthor" as much as I did?

Anyway, now I have just one more question. I forgot to ask if you guys wanted the Christmas to take place before or after Jo'an put on the ring? Majority rules!

Oh, and next post will be Tuesday, December 14th.


	54. Chapter 54

**Da0117: **Thank you! Clark _is_ sneaky isn't he? I think he learned a thing or two from his daughter.

**Mayicita: **OMG. You hate me don't you? You really, _really_ hate me. Do you know how many more chapters I would have to write to show Clark trying to make Lois fall in love with him? I was trying to end the story within the next two chapters; but showing Clark trying to win Lois's affection will take at least ten to fifteen more chapters! I thought you liked me.

**Lois Joanne Lane: **Thank you! The cage scene was pretty depressing, but I'm glad you liked it!

**Shopgirl909, Geno beast: **read the chapter again. I fixed it and made it easier to understand what's going on.

**Madlenita: **I don't know yet. It depends on how you guys answer my question.

**Clois 16: **It_ was_ sad wasn't it?

**Joliehaitian79: **Lol. You have no idea of how hard it's gonna be for Clark to make Lois fall for him. The poor guy's gonna have to start from scratch.

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Yep! That's it in a nutshell! Nicely done!

**Readingred: **You're sorta right. I was trying to end the story; but I do't know anymore. You can vote for whether or not this is the end.

**Elemaria91: **well That's an open book for ya hun. You can decide if Chloe and Ollie are merely hurt or nearly dead. It's not really important.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Thank you. I feel really guilty about not replying to you guys the way I normally do; so thank you for understanding.

**Clois fan: **Quickly! That was fifty chapters of Jo'anness. Lol. I know what you meant though;)

**Nequam-tenshi: **Hopefully.

**Garces 01: **Why is everyone almost crying? That makes me feel bad, real bad. Thank you for liking the story that much! And what do you mean by "a promise of more things to come?" Thant makes me nervous buddy;)

**Hot chocolate329: **You're welcome dear. I'll do what I can!

**Nightlife Eyes: **Thank you! One of your favs? Really? I'm flattered. I'm so glad you're finally able to review! Oh, and I LOL about you being a "nothing" vote.

**gigga: **I know, I miss her already .

**C im am a dragon, Jeremy Shane, Stupid me, and Joanne loves bb : **Thank you!

**Quathis: **Thank you! I figured you guys would like that; even though you're probably not too happy with Jo'an leaving

**Gladius Grim: ** Thanks You! I always love how you sum up the chapters;)

**Cloismycel: **Well, welcome back! And thank you! But you should reread chapter 53. I fixed it to make it easier to understand;) I hope you do well on your finals hun. Remember they're more important than reading this fic;)

**Katlynne: **Lol. I hope you've fully recovered by now; and if you like, you can read chapter 53 again. I fixed it;)

**Laby Anne Boleyn: **Lol. It is kinda sudden.

**Tessfan: **Lol. Is that a threat dear;)

**Laura Redmond: **OMG! Happy Birthday Honey! I really hope you have a good one! If you're turning 18, don't start smoking, it's bad for you;) and if you're turning 21, don't get wasted, it's bad for you. Lol. I'm totally kidding. Do what you want Hun, It's your birthday! You only get one every year and you're not guaranteed another. Totally morbid, I know, but what I'm trying to say is have fun!

**Daisy31: **Thank you! And yes, that means Lois has ever met Jo'an before.

**Fictionaddict24: **Clark went back.

**iheartBL: **Yep, Clark used the ring and went back.

**IceQueen825: **Sorry for confusing you hun. Hopefully this chapter will be better.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark returns to the exact same place from which he left; his parents' bedroom. He returns to the exact same day; Thursday, October the 12th. And he returns to the exact same time; 9pm on the dot; but _nothing_ is exactly the same. It's all…wrong.

The bed, his parents' bed, is empty. It wasn't when he left. His child was there. Lois was there. They were both sleeping; and they were both snoring…just a little. Just like they always do.

Now, there's nothing there. There're no rumpled sheets, no lingering smell of shampoo saturated into the pillows; just, no sign whatsoever that Jo'an Lane Kent had ever been there.

He stares at the bed for a few more moments hoping to see _something_; but there's not one trace of his family left; just an empty bed.

He knew that's how it would be. Even before he went back to the day his daughter first arrived; he realized that he would be coming home to an empty home; an empty bed. Well, maybe not an _empty _bed. He figured Lana would be here when he got back; and she still could be. More than likely, she's in _his_ bed. The two of them have never slept in his parents' room.

As he makes his way toward his bedroom, he thinks about what to say to her. He thought about it before; but couldn't fully decide. Somehow, "I'm sorry Lana but I met my future daughter, and you're not her mother; Lois is," sounds a bit insensitive. So does, "I'm sorry Lana, but you and I aren't destined to be together. I'm supposed to be with Lois."

He sighs deeply as he reaches his hand toward the doorknob. Maybe he shouldn't add the "I'm supposed to be with Lois" part; but how can he tell Lana about Lois nicely. She won't understand. If he remembers correctly, they had been in bed together just before Jo'an arrived. It's been nearly a week since then. Who knows what has happened now that Lana's never met his daughter. At the rate they'd been going, he and Lana could very well be engaged by now.

Now he has to tell her that it's over. Just like that. How does a man tell a woman he's loved since they were children that the two of them aren't meant for one another _nicely_?

When he opens his bedroom door, he's confronted with yet another empty bed. He supposes he should be relieved; but he's not. The first thought he has is not of Lana's whereabouts. It's a memory.

He remembers Lois lying there, crying because their daughter told her that she hated her. He remembers going into his parents' bedroom to confront his daughter. He remembers the way he convinced the little girl to apologize to her mother; and he remembers Jo'an coming in here and climbing on top of Lois. They talked a little, and Jo'an fell asleep on Lois's chest minutes later.

He smiles a little as he realizes for the first time that Jo'an never apologized to Lois for telling her that she hated her. Not flat out. She just told her to stop crying and that she doesn't hate her. He really shouldn't have expected anything else from her. She was just being herself.

God he misses her.

He turns around, leaving his bedroom. He needs a shower. No, he needs a distraction. A shower is as good as any.

The second he steps into the bathroom, he freezes.

"Daddy, Daddy watch this!" his baby giggles.

She's not there; but he can see her clearly. She's in the tub; there are bubbles all around her and Lois is kneeling beside the tub, smiling.

"I taught her that," Lois announces proudly as Jo'an blows a huge pink bubble.

He remembers that. He told his daughter that it was the biggest bubble he'd ever seen in his life; and the little girl grinned back smugly as if she knew that already. Then he asked Lois if Jo'an should be chewing gum in the tub. She just shrugged out an "I do it all the time."

'I'll just have to take your word for it," had been his answer. Then he grabbed Jo'an's towel and told her bath time was over.

"But I'm not wrinkly yet," Jo'an whined. "Mommy said I could stay 'til I get wrinkles."

He laughed then. He knew his daughter was mischievous, but this was pretty low of her. Jo'an doesn't get wrinkles, and the child knew it. She would be in there for a while.

"Well then I guess you can stay in here while me and Lois go get desert. What do you want Lois? Ice cream? Cake? Pie?"

"Hmmm," Lois pretended to ponder while getting up on her feet. "I don't know Smallville, why can't we have ice cream and pie? I'm in the mood for a little of both."

"Ice cream a la mode it is," he replied while holding his arm out.

Lois gave him a knowing smile before walking up to him and taking hold of his offered arm.

"Wait," Jo'an called as he and Lois turned their backs on her. "I want ice cream too!"

"No Jo'an," Clark answered as seriously as he could. "You stay in there until you get _wrinkly_."

"But I don't want to stay until I get wrinkly anymore," she whined while standing up and holding her arms out.

He was gonna tease her little more, but he just didn't have the heart. He picked up her towel and moved to wrap it around her.

"Softee," Lois chuckled behind him softly. He just smiled back at her. It was the truth. He couldn't resist his daughter.

Clark takes a deep breath and a turns around, closing the bathroom door behind him. Maybe a shower isn't what he needs right now.

He heads downstairs, toward the kitchen. He's not hungry. Again, he just needs a distraction. And again, he freezes.

His daughter is sitting on the kitchen counter, swinging her legs. Lois is searching through the cabinets.

"Daddy tell Mommy where the chocolate syrup is," Jo'an whines.

He remembers that too.

Jo'an was sitting next to a glass of milk and growing more impatient with each second that passed.

Lois turned around then, "I found it," she said before frowning and setting the chocolate syrup down onto the counter. Quickly, she approached Jo'an and lifted her into her arms.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay off the counter Junior?"

Jo'an rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna fall Mommy," she sighed exasperatedly.

"Whatever," Lois muttered while shifting Jo'an onto one hip and grabbing the glass of milk. Then she walked over to the drawer with the utensils in it and grabbed a spoon.

Clark remembers having a dilemma at that point. He had wondered whether he should help Lois or just stand by and watch. He realizes now that he probably should have offered to help her make Jo'an's chocolate milk; but at the same time, he was having so much fun watching her. She could've set their daughter down while she was making the child's treat; but she didn't. She held Jo'an the whole time. Even when she gave the glass to Jo'an to drink, she didn't seem to be in a hurry to set the child down. But she did a few seconds later; and Clark suspected that the only reason she did was because it was a little hard for Jo'an to drink the milk without elbowing Lois in the face, and not because she actually _wanted _to set the child down.

"Daddy, look at my mustache," Jo'an giggled a few seconds later.

Clark remembers smiling at her, and telling her that it was the best mustache he'd ever seen before. She giggled back at him.

"You want one?" she asked while offering her glass of milk to him.

"Yes I do," he'd responded before leaning in, ignoring the milk and giving his daughter a very sloppy kiss. "How's my mustache?" he asked her afterward

Jo'an just laughed and told him that he's a silly daddy.

Clark turns away from the kitchen as the image of his daughter starts to fade away.

He's going to sleep; but not in his bed, and not in his parents' bed either. There are too many memories there.

He was wrong. He thought winning over Lois's affection would be the hardest part of this whole thing. It's not. This part; the empty house, the empty beds, the empty kitchen, the empty bathroom, the empty home; this part is the hardest.

He walks into the living room and lies down on the couch. He'll worry about breaking the bad news to Lana in the morning. He'll worry about the five days he has no recollection of Tomorrow. He'll worry about _everything_ tomorrow. For now, he just wants to close his eyes. Hopefully when he's sleeping he won't think of his daughter so much. He doesn't want to forget her; not ever, he just needs a little break. It's hurting him to remember her and he just wants it to stop.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Okay, so I'm pretty sure you guys are tired of hearing from me, but I've got another problem and I need you guys to vote on something else. This one's very important!

As you all know, I was planning on ending this story within the next chapter or two. Actually, next chapter was going to be the last, but some of the comments I received have left me with the impression that you guys actually want to read about how Clark gets Lois to fall in love with him. I can't do that with one chapter. I'd need like ten or fifteen more chapters for that. I know this story is already fifty chapters long; and I don't know if you guys wanna be here for that many more so I'll let the majority decide. If you're ready for the story to end, or if you'd like it to continue, let me know. You can Private message me, or just leave it in the review. Should I tell you guys that majority rules, or do you guys know that by now? Oh, and be honest. If you're ready for the story to end, just say so. I swear to God you won't hurt my feelings. Not even a little bit;)

Anyway, next post will be Saturday, December 18th.


	55. Chapter 55

**Solipoli, superherolover22, Liv-Lov-Lrn, Clois 16, ambus777, anonymous, Laby Anne Boleyn**, **shaganlovessoccer, nutmeg31, aubree, mike Osborne, Tessfan, c im am a dragon, Readingred, Madlenita, Ellsa, nosaJRead, Marcela, Joanne loves bb, Gladius Grim, maly007, August, Sailorgirl129, 4evrclois, Hot chocolate329, wicked, heart of the city, MONEBUDDHA, Dexter Kelso, Lois Joanne Lane, Mickeiblue, continue, avrilk, saxyphone, venezsurfer, s01itaire90, tange, gigga, lilyAyl, lulu, Anita the angel, girl4ever, Stupid me, and Laura Redmond, Nina Davis, Alias4747, and daniel1973: **Thank you for voting!

**LooneyTLuna:** You know, it sounds like you're giving me a choice; but not giving me a choice at the same time;)

**Wtchcool: **Thank you for the honesty hun; and I agree with you fully. I think the rest is pretty much canon, oh and I probably wouldn't start reading a story that's fifty chapters long either, unless someone referred it to me of course.

**Da0117: **Thank you! Lol, you give a whole new meaning to "waiting on pins and needles";)

**iheartBL: **Thank you! Sometimes I wish Jo'an was on Smallville too. I hope it doesn't make me sound cocky or anything but, sometimes I can really see her there and I wish I could, well, _really _see her there. I think she would be the cutest thing ever!

**Geno beast, Imhooked, Cloisfinally123, Crazy4fanfic2008, Fictionaddict24, Brec, mason13, Need I say more, lostieamethyst, Geaglewarrior, girlbrighteyes, jjjjj, prudhvi, SmallRozfan, Briellehalliwell1018, Jade121, wazup8523257, tra, Cloismycel, cat: **I understand that completely; but the thing is…okay, so when I was younger, my mom would make me jog around this lake. It was three miles. I was allowed to walk when I got too tired, but only for a little bit, then I had to start jogging again. Well, I soon learned that when I stopped running, the walking was nice for a little bit; but trying to start jogging again after stopping was really, _really _hard. It was better for me to just run it straight through. What I'm trying to say is that when I stop writing this story, I'm not gonna wanna start up again. You probably wouldn't get that sequel anytime soon…or any time later for that matter. Don't worry, this isn't some kind of ultimatum or anything. I'm not going to ask you to revote. But thank you for reviewing and giving me your honest opinion. It's highly valued!

**Jeremy Shane, Ina100years, supernatural-sweet-hearts, KIR22 and: **Thanks!

**Katlynne, Daisy31, Mayicita: **Awww, I know, I felt so bad for Clark. I imagine it's gonna be hard for him not having his "baby" around.

**Fran: **Hi**! **So, I'm too lazy to try and translate watch you just said; but I took Spanish in the 8th grade and I think you said that you wouldn't mind fifteen extra chapters but the decision is mine; in which case, I'd like to say thank you! But if that's not what you said then I'm sorry and the next time you message me I won't be lazy.

**Tooblind: **Thank you! And you're right, I have stopped posting at 5am. I've gotten a bit lazy since then…and busier. I;m not exactly sure how one can busy and lazy at the same time but I'm special.

I'm probably just doing too much at one time; but I've been trying my best to get you guys the posts on the days I say I will.

**B. Davis, T, Sunset: **Lol. I'm not dumb. I know you guys like this story because of Jo'an; and I know you don't want to see her go. Of course Clark will have more flashbacks of her. I mean, I know it's not as good as her actually being there; but it's the best I'll be able to do;) Thank you for reviewing and voting!

**EllaLou, Quathis: **Thanks for your honesty honey!

**Liz-El7654: ** So basically, Clark used the legion ring to travel back to the day Jo'an first got there. Then he sent her home. Then he went back to his time, so now it's as if Jo'an had never been there, but he still remembers her.

**Gh55: **Lol. You know, I've actually heard that my Lois is OOC too; so thank you!

**I am hooked: **Lol. I'm relieved. I really struggled with that…sort of.

**Yra: **Omg, your first few sentences scared the crap out of me. I thought you were gonna chew me out real good about this fic. Lord knows it wouldn't be the first time…or the second time for that matter…not even the third time if I'm being honest.

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this! It makes me feel a lot better;)

**Goldfeather: **Thank you, and I honestly don't know about the future Lois story yet.

**Fan: **depends on what you guys vote for I guess.

**Molyneux: **Lol. Yeah, I already have that part planned out.

**Ladyevenstar22: **Yes, it's a good guess, but I'm not telling you if it's right or wrong yet.

**Nequam-tenshi: **What about Christmas?

**IceQueen825: **No, it should still be there. I didn't take that part out. At least I don't remember doing so.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

When Clark opens his eyes, it's late. He can tell by how much sunlight is seeping through the curtains. And even though he normally isn't such a late riser, he didn't wake up on his own. Someone is knocking on the door; _banging_ really.

He groans before getting up off of the couch slowly. Whoever's knocking is probably someone he's never met before; like a bill collector, or a cop, or someone else he's not in the mood to fake courtesy toward.

None of his friends ever knock.

"Clark! I know you're in there! Open up right now or I'll kick the door down!"

He frowns. He recognizes that voice. That's Chloe's voice; but why on earth is she knocking? The door should be unlocked. It's always unlocked.

But when he gets to the door, he sees that it _is_ indeed locked.

'_Why is the door locked?'_

"Clark! Open. Up. Now!"

Wait a minute…Chloe! She's alright! And with that thought racing through his mind he snatches the door open and abruptly yanks his best friend inside, pulling her up into a mighty embrace.

It's so good to see her up and about.

Subconsciously, he realizes he had the same thought about his daughter just last night before he sent her away; but he pushes it aside.

"Whoa, uh Clark?" Chloe says before patting Clark's back in an attempt to let him know she wants to get down. He doesn't get the message.

"Yeah?" he responds, refusing to let her go just yet.

"If you think this is gonna get you out of trouble for ignoring my phone calls over the past few days, you're sadly mistaken buddy," Chloe tries again.

"Okay," he answers cheerfully.

"That means you can put me down now," she says.

"Okay."

"Like now, as in _now_ and not later."

"Okay," Clark says before finally putting her down. "I'm sorry, it's just…you look really good," he finishes with a smile.

She narrows her eyes at him before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Spill," she commands.

"What?"

"There's something wrong with you," she answers simply.

Clark thinks back a little with a frown. Chloe said something about him not answering her phone calls for the past few days; but he just got here, to her time, last night.

Then it hits him. Well, he sort of thought about it a little last night but now he fully realizes what not knowing what's been going on for the past few days means. It means he doesn't know what's been going on for the past few days; for the past five days to be exact. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. He only has memories of _his_ past five days.

He's gonna need Chloe to fill him in on what's been going on.

"Uh, what do you mean there's something wrong with me," he starts. It's a good way to ease into the "there's nothing wrong with me, and I don't have amnesia but I don't know what happened yesterday, or the day before it, or the day before that" conversation.

"Clark, I get it. You miss her, and I expected some heavy duty moping from you; but I came all the way out here to cheer you up and you're"-

"Wait," Clark interrupts almost hopefully. He knows there's no way she knows about him missing his daughter; that it's _impossible_ for her to know, but… "Who are you talking about?" he asks hopefully anyway.

Chloe blinks at Clark and decides that there is _definitely _something wrong with him; just like she suspected. What does he mean by 'who are you talking about?'? There's only one person she _could _be talking about.

"You know," she starts off casually while gauging his facial expressions for any sign that he's simply pulling her leg. He knows exactly who she's talking about, and he just doesn't want to talk about her right now. That's it. She's sure of it. "Dark hair, green eyes"-

"You remember her?" Clark cuts in with a hopeful but disbelieving raise of his eyebrows.

"Remember her?" Chloe asks with a serious frown on her face. She doesn't think he's just purposely being difficult anymore. Whatever's going on with Clark is worse than what she originally thought. "Clark, how can I not remember Lana?" she asks slowly. She's assumed that he's suffering from some kind of mental breakdown, or some extreme forms of denial, or amnesia or something. She can't tell which one it is or if it's an accumulation of all of the above; but she knows that it's bad. Real bad.

She has to get him some help.

"Lana?" Clark frowns; and for some reason Chloe gets the feeling that he hadn't been talking about Lana, that he thought she was talking about someone else; but that's just plain silly so she throws that notion right out of the window. Who else could he have been thinking of?

"I thought you were talking about…wait, where _is_ Lana?" Clark asks with a frown as he remembers what Chloe said. Something about knowing he misses "her;" but the only "her" who's not here should be Jo'an. Lois is still here. No, she doesn't remember any of the time she spent with him and their daughter; but she's still here in this time. He can still go see her; and he plans on it.

And Lana's still here right? She should be. In this time, Jo'an's never been here. Lois never moved back in. Lana never felt the need to go stay with her aunt until things cooled down. And he never fell for his daughter and her mother; right? So with none of these things ever happening, Lana should still be here.

"Clark," Chloe calls his name softly, and the look on her face as well as the tone of her voice makes him nervous. She's worried about him; probably even thinks he has amnesia. He supposes he does in a way.

"I thought you were talking about my daughter," Clark jumps right in. "I sent her home last night. I just miss her that's all," he finishes quietly.

"Your uh…your d-daughter?" Chloe stutters. God, she thought it was worse than she thought; but now she realizes it's…it's….his daughter? She can't seem to get over that.

Clark smiles at Chloe. He knew she'd be shocked; but he hadn't expected her to be speechless. She's never speechless. And the way she's looking at him right now, it's the same look Lois had given him when he told her that Jo'an was her daughter from the future; like he needed to be taken to Belle Reeve ASAP.

"Your niece," Clark nods his head at her. He watches her blink at the word "niece". He said it on purpose, hoping Chloe will feel a little something toward his child if he was able to make her realize Jo'an is, _will_ be, _her_ family too.

"She loves you so much; more than she even loved me at first," Clark continues with a soft smile as he begins to reminisce. "I remember the first day you met her. You were standing right here in the doorway, just like you are now, and she just screamed "Aunt Chloe!" Before launching herself into your arms." He laughs at the memory. Alone 'cause Chloe doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

"She nearly knocked you down flat on your ass…uh bottom," Clark corrects himself automatically. Being with Lois and his daughter for the past few days has definitely had a bad influence on his non-swearing lifestyle.

Chloe stares at her best friend. He just said ass. Clark doesn't say ass. And what was this about this "niece" of hers; the one that supposedly calls her "Aunt Chloe." She won't deny that she's intrigued by the thought of his little girl calling her that; like she was a part of the family; but at the same time, Clark doesn't _have_ a daughter.

"So what are we talking about here? Some kind of alternate reality? or world? Or a very vivid dream?"

'_Or maybe even an overactive imagination,' _she adds to herself.

It makes sense to her. With Lana having to leave the way she did, it's not hard for her to believe that he dreamt up a "what could've been daughter"; or that he begged Jor-el to show him what could've been or something.

"No, Chloe, Jo'an is real…_will _be real soon."

"Uh, soon?"

"Less than a year from now; she's from the future. Well she was in the future, then she somehow got ahold of the legion ring and found me," Clark rambles out a confusing explanation with a bit of excitement and panic in his voice.

Soon he'll have his baby back; but he's got to get her mother to fall in love with him first. He can do it. He did it before; within a few days in fact, and he wasn't even trying. He has more than enough time; but first he has to explain that to Lana. "Hey Chloe, do you know where Lana is. I have to talk to her."

"Um Clark, you and Lana can't have children together," Chloe says rather bluntly. She doesn't want to be so harsh; but maybe it will bring him out of his…whatever this is, so that he can face reality. Lana's gone. She can't be anywhere near Clark without hurting him; and there's no cure.

"I know that," Clark says quickly; but doesn't complete the rest of his sentence when Chloe blinks at him as if she's confused. Then he realizes that she is confused; that she thinks _Lana's _his daughter's mother. "Lana is not Jo'an's mother," Clark explains quickly.

"Joanne?" Chloe repeats. Her cousin's middle name is Joanne; but she has no idea why she just thought of that. Clark and Lois hate each other.

"My daughter," Clark explains further. "Her name is, _will_ be, Jo'an."

"I see, it's a very pretty name," Chloe says in order to humor her friend; but she can't help but smile at how happy and proud he looks right now. She's sure he's thinking about the little girl. She must really be something else.

"It suits her," he grins at the memory of just how much Lois is in his daughter. It really does suit her to carry her mother's middle name as her first; even if she was named after his fathers.

"Just out of curiosity Clark, who _is _Joanne's mother?" Chloe asks.

"Lois," he answers immediately without thinking about it.

But he regrets telling her as soon as she starts laughing, hard.

He stares at her without smiling until she stops; until her eyebrows arch, until she frowns; until she realizes he's serious.

"Oh boy," is all she's able to say a few minutes later.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Okay, I'm sure you noticed that I'm late again; and I know I keep telling you the same thing. That the holiday hours are kicking my ass; but I swear it's true. I didn't get off until 12:30am last night/this morning and it's been that way for a while now. I can't wait until Christmas is over. I don't care if I sound like a scrooge. And I'm also sure you all noticed that I didn't really answer you all individually like usual, I just kinda grouped a lot of you together. I'm sorry, but you really left me no choice. I got so many reviews for this chapter, like over 100, and while that's what every writer wants, I was freaking out because responding to you guys would've taken up more space than this chapter. I hope you understand. I was happy to see every one of you. Hell, I didn't even know half of you existed! You really made my day…after I cried about the enormous task of replying to you all of course;)

So, obviously the "continuing story people" won by a landslide, even when I counted the ones who asked me to make it a sequel instead as a negative vote. For those of you who are tired of this story, you have my blessing to go and find another to fall in love with;) It won't hurt me any, I'll only feel the slightest twinge of betrayal….I'm just kidding. But seriously don't read this story out of loyalty to me. It'll make me feel weird.

Anyway, next post will be, Wednesday not Wednesday coming up, but the next one, December 29th. Sorry so far away; but I got a lot of Christmas fics to write. They have to be done by the 25th. They _Have _to.


	56. Chapter 56

**Madlenita: **I don't know, maybe

**LooneyTLuna:** Lol. I figured that's what you were really doing. Anyway, that could be fun, the Chloe in denial about the Chlollie thing; but I gotta think about it..

**Hot chocolate329: **Lol. You're welcome honey.

**Nequam-tenshi: **Yeah, Everyone forgot but him

**IceQueen825: **Yeah, it's still in there, after Clark gets to the barn and he's happy to see her "up and around"; and thank you for understanding me being late and stuff, I swear I never got any sleep. I was always feeling really guilty for leaving you guys hanging.

**Daisy31: **Lol. I'm sure Chloe will try to help her buddy out a little.

**Crazy4fanfic2008: **Look who's talking indeed! You're the apology queen! And you're totally right, this is right after requiem. Oh, and you don't have to explain your reasons for being in the minority vote. I wasn't hurt at all. Trust me;)

**Esmerada007, Laura Redmond, A. sky, c im am a dragon, lilyAyl, dan, Clois 16, Briellehalliwell1018, LoisLaneRocks, Pau Lane, Jeremy Shane, iheartBL, Eternal Density: **Thanks!

**JUJUChick16: **Hey! Long time no see, glad you're back, and glad you're _still _enjoying yourself.

**Geno beast: **Lol. You and me both dear; you're more than welcome to stop reading this. I'd stop writing but the majority told me that I'm not allowed to yet.;)

**Lois Joanne Lane: **Lol. That was fun for me too. I figured Chloe would laugh at Clark being in love with Lois all of a sudden.

**Gladius Grim: **You're more than welcome! I really do hope you guys like how I approach this, and I'll see what I can do about the whole Chlollie thing.

**Ladyevenstar22: **Lol. Deep poo poo. I know it's immature to laugh about; but I seriously suffering from sleep deprivation. My hours don't go back to normal until after new year's. So I can't for that. I'll be such a happy camper!

**Wtchcool: **Lol. Thanks; but that was not the answer I expected from you.

**Katlynne: **Lol. Don't die honey! That'll make me sad. I need you to make me laugh. And thank you for your encouraging words.

**wazup8523257: **Lol. Can you say pressure?

**Quathis: **I know, but I felt like Clark would be overly happy at the prospect of working toward getting his daughter back once he saw a friendly face. Plus the last dew chapters wee depressing as hell, ans this is a humor fic.

**Mayicita: **How'd I know you'd rub the fact that you guys in my face? ;) Thank you, I'm really happy you guys like the story so much, no matter how much I complain about writing it. If I really wanted to quite, I could've without having you guys vote; but I still got a little patience for this in me;).

**nosaJRead: **I totally agree with everything you just said, well except for the part about me being a writer for Smallville. That would intimidate the hell out of me!

**Cat: **Lol, honey, trust me, I know when to end a story. _I _was going to end it at chapter 55; but you guys basically told me that I can't. So, here's another chapter;)

**Fan: **Nah, I responded to you, I always do;) but yeah, the rest of the story is pretty much humor.

**Gigga: **You sure don't sound very sorry about twisting my arm. Not even a little bit; but I understand. If I liked a story, I wouldn't care if the author wanted to quit, I'd still want 'em to continue;)

**Ghostfile: **Thank you for the words of encouragement. They're always appreciated.

**Darkstrider: **Thank you. Lol, he was a bit of a blabber mouth; but I'd like to think he was just excited about his new project; and yeah, he's good at keeping secrets but Chloe already knows his secret remember? Him telling her about Jo'an was problem some pretty normal everyday stuff for her. She's seen weirder;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Lois turns off her car and sits still for a little while. She takes deep calming breaths; but they don't really help. She's pissed.

She looks up at the house that has been her only stable home for the past four years; off and on off course. She can't live there with that plaid and flannel wearing farm boy for too long without going completely insane. And now, she's letting him get to her when they live apart as well.

She works her jaw from side to side as she stares up at the farm. Looking up at it was supposed to calm her down; give her some kind of feeling of peace, or serenity, or _something_; but it doesn't. She's too worked up. That's what she's been trying to put a muzzle on.

Sure, Clark Kent infuriates her like no other, but he just got his heart ripped out by his on again off again girlfriend, the love of his freaking life, his high school, no, elementary school crush, Lana Lang…_again_… For like the sixth time. So yes, she can understand why he forgot to pick her up, but if he wasn't feeling up to doing it, he shouldn't have offered to do it!

That's it; that's the reason she's so irked. She had a ride home, she had everything taken care of, but he _offered_ to pick her up. She asked him a million times on the phone if he was sure; she even sent him a bunch of texts and emails, but he just kept saying that he would be there for her.

Lois gets out of her car and slams the door behind herself. She's tried to calm down, to be sympathetic toward him; but really a part of her is being a total bitch about this. Shouldn't he have learned his lesson by now? How many times is he going to stick his finger in a gators mouth, then scream out in surprised pain because the reptile bites, and because it hurts…metaphorically speaking of course. She's not calling Lana a reptile or anything like that.

Lois hurries up the porch steps quickly before snatching the door open. It's never locked; and she never knocks, so this is actually normal behavior.

"Smallville!" She yells, not knowing if he's actually in the house or in the barn or even on the farm; but not really caring either. If he's not here, she'll simply wait until he _does _come home. This is actually normal behavior for her too. She's almost always yelling his name, and ticked off at him.

"Lois!"

Lois freezes altogether when Clark grabs her and pulls her into a nearly suffocating bear hug.

This is not normal behavior. This is not normal behavior at all.

Just then, she sees someone dive into the kitchen from over Clark's shoulder. Someone short and blonde. Someone like her cousin …and she's laughing; hard.

Lois doesn't know what's going on but it's definitely time to put an end to the madness.

"Put me down Kent!" she yells and squirms.

Clark sets Lois down immediately. He hasn't completely forgotten that she's not _his _Lois; but his Lois and his future girlfriend Lois look exactly the same. You can't blame a guy for having a temporary lapse considering those circumstances.

"Lois," he clears his throat a little and straightens himself out. "It's good to see you,"

"Well it shouldn't be," she argues back, remembering that she came here to thoroughly chew Clark out and spit him back out on his ass. "Where the hell were you? I called you nearly _twenty _times!"

Clark frowns. His phone didn't ring.

"Lois my phone"-

"Yeah, I know you turned it off! Don't you think I caught onto that when I got sent straight to voicemail whenever I called you!"

Clark looks a little guilty then, He did turn his phone off last night. He didn't think he would want to talk to anyone for a while; as much as he hates to admit it, he was planning on a full day of mope therapy; but then his friend came over and he's feeling a little optimistic…well, he _was _feeling a little optimistic_._

"Clark, if you didn't want to pick me up, you didn't have to offer me a ride. I had a ride and everything already. And then you just up and decide you don't feel up to it! Do you know how long I waited for you?"

"Lois I"-

"Two hours! And do you know how long it took for me to get home?"

"Lois, I'm sorry, I didn't know"-

"You didn't know? What the hell does that even mean?"

"Uh,"

"How could you _not _have known, Clark?"

Clark looks behind himself. Chloe has chosen that moment to reappear.

"Help me," he mouths.

She raises her eyebrows at him; and it irritates him when he realizes she still wants to laugh. She just spent the last few minutes nearly choking on her laughter in his kitchen, even though there was nothing particularly funny about what's going on; and now he realizes she hasn't fully gotten it out of her system?

He glares at her, until she straightens up and mouths back a "how?"

How? He doesn't really know, but Chloe's good at making up something on the spot; which is why he asked her. He on the other hand, well, he's liable to just say anything that comes to mind; and that's always a disaster.

"I'm waiting Clark," Lois says while crossing her arms over her chest and paying no attention to the blonde who just came out of the kitchen. She'll deal with her soon.

"Well, I um," Clark stumbles as he whips his head back around to face Lois; but then he stills at the sight of her.

Jo'an stands like that when she's mad. Jo'an looks exactly like that when she's mad. The thought should make him sad. It did last night. He remembers just how painful it was when he thought about his daughter last night; but now, he sees Lois, yes, but he's seeing her as this little girl…and she's cute. Lois would kill him if she knew he was thinking about how cute she is; but she is. And he smiles a little at her because of it.

Lois watches Clark smile at her. _Smile _at her. She's pissed off at him and he's smiling at her. What is _wrong _with him?

"He has amnesia," Chloe blurts out.

"Amnesia," Lois frowns.

"Amnesia," Clark mouths after whipping his head back around in his friend's direction.

"What?" she mouths back.

"_Again_?" Lois's frown deepens.

Clark turns back to face Lois. If he was human he'd be suffering from some serious whiplash right about now.

"Um..I uh," he starts off, but Chloe interrupts him again.

"But it's only the past five days he doesn't remember."

"Clark's eyes widen as he turns back around to glare at his friend. Amnesia for only the past five days? But then he catches the mischievous look in her eyes, and he realizes that she did it on purpose.

"What?" she mouths again as serious as she can; but she's not so successful with hiding her amusement.

"Time out," Lois calls for his attention again; and once again he whips his head around, giving her his full attention.

"The past _five _days?" she inquires while taking a few steps toward him and keeping an unwavering eye on him, so that she could be able to tell if he's lying or not.

"Um, I don't remember anything that's happened over the past five days," he says.

It's a good thing that it's true. Sort of. He doesn't really have amnesia. He just wasn't _here_.

"So what is the last thing you remember?"

Clark's face goes red. The thing that had been happening just before his daughter had arrived, had involved a bed and Lana.

"I was um…Well, Lana had stopped by, you know…to visit," he stutters. He's suddenly begun to feel nervous and a little guilty; like he'd cheated on Lois. Even though rationally, he realizes that he didn't.

"So you don't remember _anything_ after that?" Lois cuts in.

She asks the question quite matter-of-factly; like the fact that Lana "visited" him didn't bother her at all. And that bothers him just a little. Shouldn't she be just a _little_ bit jealous?

'_No, she hates your guts now remember?'_

Clark sighs deeply and shakes his head. It wasn't an answer to Lois's question; but she takes it as such.

"So you don't remember Lana leaving you, again," Lois asks bluntly while gauging his face for a reaction.

"No, Lois. I don't remember that."

He's telling the truth as far as Lois can see; but it's not a good thing. Now, he's probably gonna spend even longer with the moping because he just found out that he'd been abandoned by his "one and only" again.

"Well, I'm sorry you had to find out this way Clark," she says as nicely as she can despite still being irritated and walks into the kitchen.

Clark follows behind her; but pauses just before he reaches Chloe.

"_Amnesia_?" he hisses.

"What?" she hisses back.

"_Five_ days," he arches his eyebrow.

"It's true," she whispers back before picking her purse up off the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"Are you serious?"

"Are _you _serious? You can't leave me here with her. She hates me."

"Yeah, well, I need to go before she remembers she needs to kill me," Chloe whispers back; and she's not laughing anymore.

"You're supposed to be helping me!" he hisses a little louder.

"I did,"

"But she's still"-

"Smallville!" Lois yells.

Clark gulps before turning toward the kitchen; and Chloe takes that moment to escape, firmly slamming the door behind her.

"Smallville!" Lois yells again; but a little louder.

"Yes Lois," Clark answers as he enters the kitchen.

"Where's my cup?"

"Jo"-

He stops himself in the middle of that sentence. He was about to tell her that Jo'an had it last; but Lois doesn't know who Jo'an is.

"Try the fridge," he tells her instead.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **So, I'm getting tired of lying to you guys, so I don't think I'll tell you when your next update date is anymore. Don't get me wrong. I'll still try to update every four days, but I'll feel less guilty if I can't make it.


	57. Chapter 57

Chloe smiles down at her phone. Sure, she's driving, and it's not exactly safe to text and drive, but she's been away from the Kent farm for exactly three minutes and this is the seventh text Clark has sent her.

It's the same exact message as the other six.

"She hates me."

She picks up her phone and calls him instead of texting back. It's more than obvious he needs to talk face to face…er mouth to phone to ear to mouth to phone to ear.

She's not really surprised when he picks up before the first ring is up.

"You shouldn't be driving and talking on your cell at the same time. It's dangerous," is the first thing Clark says to her.

Chloe rolls her eyes. Of course he wouldn't say "hello" like a normal person.

"Yeah, well, it's not exactly safe to text and drive either. In fact, I think it's actually more dangerous to text and drive than to talk on the phone and drive, especially because I have this pretty nifty earpiece that allows me to do the whole hand free thing."

"She hates me," is Clark's response.

Chloe rolls her eyes and thinks to herself about how that conversation _should _have gone.

'_You're right Chloe. It IS more dangerous to text and drive than to talk on the phone and drive.'_

'_I'm always right Clark.'_

'_And an earpiece? When'd you get one of those?'_

'_Yesterday, Oliver got it for me.'_

'_Really?'_

"Chloe are you listening to me?" Clark's voice pulls her out of her musings. Apparently, he'd been talking about how much Lois hates him still.

"Yes Clark, I'm listening. I heard everything you said," Chloe lies. It's not like he'll catch onto it.

"You're lying."

Chloe's mouth drops open. When'd he get so perceptive?

"So are you going to help me or not?" Clark asks, and Chloe's automatic answer is "of course."

"Wait, what am I helping you with?" Chloe asks when she realizes that she has no idea of what she's offered up her services for.

"Lois," Clark hisses back. Either he's frustrated because Chloe's not paying enough attention to him; or Lois is in the room and he doesn't want her to hear; in which case, he's doing a very bad job with the whispering and will be dead within the next few seconds.

Chloe waits a beat before answering; and when she doesn't hear any yelling from Lois she assumes he's irritated with her for not listening to him.

"So, uh…you need help with _what _with Lois?"

"She hates me," is all Clark says.

Chloe rolls her eyes; though it's not like Clark can see her do it.

Seriously? Is that all he can say? So what if Lois hates him? Lois has always hated him; and in turn, he's always hated her. What's with all the surprised confusion? Okay, so they shared five days with their future daughter and they bonded a little; but he should've been able to get right back into the grove of their love hate bantering _thing _that they have.

"Clark, you hate Lois too," Chloe says, opting for the paraphrased version of her thoughts.

"I don't hate Lois, Chloe, I love her!" Clark hisses back.

That's when Chloe hangs up. She doesn't know whether to laugh, or cry, or laugh _until_ she cries, or just die from the shock of how loosely Clark just used the L word. Her friend does _not_ take the L word lightly. So she probably will end up crying because he wants her to help him get Lois to like him back. Doesn't he know how that's impossible that's going to be? Sure, he did it before, but he had the cute little girl from the future, Jo'an; proof that they end up together. He doesn't have that now. He just has…himself; and her apparently because she let him drag herself into this.

Clark calls back immediately; but she doesn't answer. She was going to answer him, really she was; but she can't.

She's a little too busy slamming on brakes because she nearly hit a man.

Well, she actually _does_ hit the man; but just a little. And he just keeps walking as if she didn't.

Which was, _is, _alarming.

"Hey!" Chloe calls to the man.

He doesn't turn around to acknowledge her, so she gets out of her car and calls to him again.

Still no answer. He just keeps walking as if he's in some sort of trance.

She really shouldn't be chasing after the man. This is Smallville for goodness sakes. Who knows what he's capable of doing to her; but that doesn't stop her. She _did_ hit him with her car after all. She should at least make sure he's alright.

She catches up with him easily; and turns so that she's walking in front of him, backwards. His trancelike walk is slow as hell.

"Hey," Chloe says as she grabs his shoulders and shakes him a little.

"Let me go," he whispers, but he doesn't stop walking and he doesn't meet her eyes.

"He speaks," Chloe responds humorly; but realizes quickly that it's not the time. The man clearly isn't in the mood for humor.

"Go way," he says quietly; and Chloe nearly does as he asks. He _is _kinda creepy; but when she looks into his eyes she just feels…_lost._

They're dead.

There's no sign of life in them anywhere, just nothing. They're devoid of all emotion, no happiness, or sorrow, not even anger at the woman who refuses to step aside and let him continue to…nowhere. She's sure that there's no particular destination he's headed for with eyes like that. He's just…_wandering_.

"Hey, why don't you come with me," Chloe offers.

She doesn't really want him in her car, for all she knows he can be a homicidal maniac; but she really needs to get him to the hospital. Somebody's got to be missing him.

"I said leave me alone," he says again, and before Chloe realizes what's happened she's on the ground, several feet away, and she hurts.

There'd been no warning whatsoever; nothing. He just grabbed her by her arm, slung her away from him like a rag doll, and kept walking.

She gets up slowly; holding onto her arm because it's the part that hurts the most. It's not broken or anything; but she'll probably end up getting it checked out anyway. Why not? she shrugs a little to herself; she was already on her way to the hospital before she literally ran into John Doe. Her husband, Jimmy, is there and she was on her way to visit because she's really worried about him. Just yesterday she caught him trying to activate his morphine pump so that he could get extra dosages. Apparently, those nightmares about Davis killing people are starting to get a little more vivid and frequent.

Chloe shakes her head a little. There will be plenty of time to think and worry about Jimmy, but for now she's got the very strong man with the dead eyes to contend with. Quickly, she walks back to her car and grabs her phone. Despite the fact that the man just hurt her, she's not particularly afraid of him. He's still doing the trance-walk thing and she knows that as long as she doesn't approach him he'll just keep walking. But she _does_ know that she can't just leave him out here. He might hurt someone else. Someone who's a little less understanding about the abnormal amount of strength the man possesses.

"Chloe!" Clark exclaims once he answers her phone call. "Why didn't you answer the phone? I've been calling for nearly two minutes straight! Lois is…"

Chloe rolls her eyes and once again begins to imagine the conversation the way it _should _go.

_I was so worried about you, Chloe. It's not like you to ignore my phone calls, Chloe. I kept thinking something bad had happened to you Chloe. Are you alright Chloe? Do you need me to come and get you, Chloe?_

_No, Clark, I'm fine. I just had a little problem with this guy that I hit with my car._

_You hit a man with your car, Chloe? Is he alright? Are you alright?_

_Just fine Clark, but I need you to help me get him to the hospital. He doesn't look like he's been having a good day._

_Just stay there, I'll be over in less than a second, Chloe._

"Chloe! You're not listening to me again are you?"

Chloe rolls her eyes at her phone again. Of course she wasn't listening to him rant about how much Lois hates him. She's too busy worrying about the man who threw her with absolutely no effort.

"I'm sorry Clark, but it's kinda hard to focus on what you're talking about when I have a broken arm, and I just hit a man with my car, and he's still walking, and did I mention that he's the one who broke my arm by just throwing me several feet away from him when I got out of my car to ask him if he was okay," Chloe replies testily.

"Where are you?" Clark asks with so much concern that Chloe feels guilty immediately.

She didn't mean to snap at him; and she didn't mean to exaggerate the injury on her arm either. She just…did it.

Clark finds her within seconds of her giving him her location. He checks her arm and tells her it's not broken before approaching the man Chloe pointed out as her attacker. There was really no need for it. The other man is the only one out here besides Chloe.

Like Chloe before him, Clark tries a couple of times to get the man to focus long enough to get to the car and go to the hospital. It doesn't work. Not until Clark puts his hand on the man's shoulder and tries to stop him physically.

That's when the man tries to toss Clark aside too; but he can't. Clark's too strong.

The man fights back, suddenly startled out of his trance by not being able to just toss this one aside and keep on walking.

Clark fights back too; but he's doing more restraining and pinning down than actually fighting.

Chloe gets out of the car quickly and runs up to Clark when he suddenly jumps off of the man and takes a few steps back. At first, she thinks he's somehow affected by kryptonite; but then Clark runs a hand through his hair and swears softly.

"Clark? What is it?"

"I know him," Clark says simply before taking a deep breath and continuing. "His name is Dee. Jo'an went to school with his little brother, and yesterday we were at Crater Lake with him. He nearly drowned, Chloe; but Jo'an saved him."

Chloe just blinks at Clark a few times, before comprehension begins to dawn on her.

Jo'an was never here; in this time.

"Chloe, I think his brother died yesterday," Clark says softly.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **I know you guys are probably tired of the voting thing. But a few people have asked me if I was going to bring back an older Jo'an.

I won't lie, I was going to; but then I figured you guys wouldn't like it because it would be too much time traveling sh-…stuff; and that it'd be too confusing. And since the story is already confusing enough, I decided not to do it.

So now, I don't know. If you guys want it, say so. If you don't, say so. Either way's fine by me. I don't care. I'm pretty much winging the story at this point because I didn't get to end it where I wanted to; thanks to about 80 people;) But if you don't want it, make sure you vote. If not, those other people will win like they did last time when I asked you to vote on whether I should end the story or continue;)

Oh, again. I didn't have the time to respond to you individually; and I'm sorry. I could've but then you wouldn't have gotten this chapter until tomorrow 'cause I gotta go to work. Like now. But I would like to thank you all for your reviews. They really do make my day.


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N: **First, I would like to say that I'm sorry. I decided to do this differently, and without any kind of warning. I finished the story completely and now I'm going to post every couple of days just to give you guys enough time to review and me enough time to post your replies at the top of every chapter like I've been doing. Unless, you'd rather I just stop with this chapter 'cause you're no longer interested in this story. i wouldn't blame you. It's been a year. Sorry, I didn't have a way to tell everyone that that's what I was going to do without doing another update; and I didn't think it would be right to update just to tell you that I wouldn't be updating for a while. I thought that would be rude; to get your hopes up for another chapter and then have nothing there for you. But I'm more than sure _now_ that you guys would've liked the heads up anyway. Again. I'm sorry.

I'm gonna be brutally honest here. I could've had this done _months _ago, but the reason I took my time is because of the kind of feedback I get for this story. It's gotten me to the point where I'd rather just write the rest of the story, post it, and get it over with. If you like it, you like it. If you don't, you don't. But either way, I'm finished so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Trust me, I'm not blaming anyone. Everyone's entitled to their own opinions and all. This is _definitely_ my own fault. I shouldn't have _ever _written this story in the first place. I wasn't thinking when I did it. As most of you know, I'm a Chlarker. Like, a _huge_ Chlarker. But my godchildren were spending the summer with me, and they run out of things to do quickly, so I just kinda sat them in front of my computer and let them watch one of my favorite shows growing up. Sailor Moon. Of course, I watched some of it with them, and it made me realize how much I miss the show. Especially Rini; the main character's future daughter. She was sent to the past to find some kind of crystal or stone or something. As to why a mother would send her five or six year old to the past is beyond me; but it's a cartoon, excuse me, an anime. Stuff like that happens. And Like I said, I was a kid when I first watched it, so I didn't catch on to that.

Anyway, after watching Sailor Moon, I kinda wanted to read some fics that involved the whole kid from the future thing. And since Smallville is my favorite show, I looked for some in that fandom; but I didn't find a lot. So, I started my own.

It was kinda hard at first. I was basically going off of Sailor Moon, and mixing it with Smallville. I wanted the child to be like Rini; but not as cartoonish. I needed her more human, so I modeled her after my goddaughter, Alexis.

So that's how Jo'an came about; and since I wanted the fic to be like Sailor Moon, I had to pick parents for her who don't get along, like Serena and Darien. Clark and Lois fit that bill easily; well pre-season sixish, not Chloe and Clark. (Just in case you're wondering why I didn't write this as a Chlark story since I claim to be such a huge Chlarker.) Anyway, I came up with this story. It wasn't supposed to be long, and I wasn't going to have Clois fall in love and such because it's weird for me; but then I started getting requests for more Chlollie; and people started begging for more Clois and I gave in; but on my terms. I didn't have them fall in love as soon as possible, I didn't have Clark kick Lana out on her ass; and I'm sorry for those of you who don't like the idea of Clark falling in love with Lois _because _of Jo'an and not on his own, but that's a personal problem of yours because I didn't see any other way to have it done. Not in Smallville canon anyway, and definitely not during the eighth season. I mean, Clark was about to kiss Lois at Chloe's wedding but as soon as Lana came back, he forgot all about Lois, even slept with Lana. I may not be a diehard Cloiser; but I thought that was wrong on so many levels; and I just don't understand how Clois got together so quickly after that. I guess they probably talked about it in an off-screen-Smallville kind of world, but whatever, if you guys are okay with that then so be it. Doesn't matter to me, I _am_ the crazy one for still being a Chlarker after all. And I meant that in a very non-sarcastic way. Honest. I mean, if I can still be a Chlarker after all this time, and after all that's happened, why wouldn't you guys be okay with something like that. I honestly wasn't judging; and it's hard to tell from these words when they have no facial expression or a tone of voice.

I want to say that I do understand the Superman, Clois, Canon, thing. I honestly do. But I'd also like for you guys to understand that I'm not a huge Superman fan. I watched it when I was a little girl; but I don't remember much. Just the big stuff. The fortress, the kryptonite, the flying; like I said, the big stuff. I never read any of the comics; in fact, I've never read _a _comic book before in my entire life. So I don't know much about Wonder Woman and all the other Justice League people. I have a general idea; but I don't know a lot. I didn't even remember about the lasso thing until Smallville's "Fortune" episode, and I understand that to be a big part of Wonder Woman. See, almost everything I know about Superman comes from watching Smallville; which I understand isn't completely canon a hundred percent of the time, but then again, I _am _writing a Smallville story. Not a Superman story.

I also want to say that I feel proud of what I've done with this story. It's been hard; but I think the way I feel about the main couple has allowed me to be completely objective with my writing. Though you probably now think that I procrastinated with the Clois lovin' because I'm not a Cloiser, I don't regret taking 40 chapters to get Clois to kiss. I was honestly just trying to make the whole falling in love thing a little more visible and realistic on Clark's end, especially because he was technically still in love with Lana and she was technically still his girlfriend. I don't regret anything I've done so far. I think some of you just need to relax a bit. I know, a lot of you were upset by the constant "She hates me" mantra I had Clark do in the last chapter; but I didn't mean anything by it. It was such a serious chapter that I had to lighten the mood a bit. I always do that. Even in my Chlark stories. Which reminds me, I hope that me being a Chlarker doesn't make you think that I'm pushing too much Clark and Chloe together in this story. I'm not. Even as a Chlarker I never expected Chlark to get together on the show. I wanted it; but I knew it wouldn't happen and I was seriously just satisfied by their friendship. I think they had a really good one. That's why I have that in this story; and that's why Clark's confiding in Chloe. As for the aforementioned mantra, I think Clark forgot just how difficult Lois could be. The last Lois he was with loved him, and while he realized _this_ Lois wouldn't exactly be the same, I think he still figured it would be easy to get back to where they were. But his mantra thing was just his way of coming to terms with the fact that Lois "hates" him and that he's got a long way to go; but he'll get there;) I'm sorry if you didn't like the last chapter but everything can't be about Clois all the time guys. It's almost like you've never seen a Smallville episode before. There are even episodes where Lois doesn't appear at all guys. That's kinda how you have to look at this story. You're not gonna get what you want all the time. There are too many different people reading this story and they don't all like the same things. I can't please everyone. I can only please the majority.

And I understand what a lot of you mean when you tell me that the story is mine and I should do what I want with it because I'm the author and I should be writing this for my enjoyment; but I'm not enjoying this guys. I haven't been enjoying this since about chapter ten. I mean, I like writing Jo'an. She reminds me of my goddaughter so much, and she's so cute and so much fun; but as for the rest of this stuff, I'm not enjoying it. I know, you probably couldn't tell, or maybe you could and you just didn't care, but I was only doing it for you guys. You kept wanting more, begging really, and I felt like I had to. So for you to tell me that I shouldn't ask for so many votes and opinions on it, I think you might want to reconsider that idea; because if I had _my_ way, none of the Cloisness would've happened. I mean it. I probably would've ended it with Jo'an going home, and Lois finding out she's the kid's mother and an awkward moment between Clois. Just something lighthearted because that's more my style; when it comes to Clois anyway.

With that said, I think it's obvious that I won't be writing anymore Clois stories, so if you've alerted or favorited me as an author, you should probably un-favorite me. I _am_ working on more Jo'an centered stories; and I don't mind doing little Lois and Clark stories like "Ants in his Pants, Glue in his shoes.". I might even consider writing the sequel for that one if you want me to; but as far as strictly Clois romance stories, that's a no-go for me. I'm sorry if you don't like anything I said; and I don't mean to be rude; remember, I said I was going for brutal honesty here. This is just the way I'm feeling. You guys always let me know what you're feeling, so I thought that if you understood where I was coming from you wouldn't be as mad at me. Well, I was hoping really;)

Anyway, here's the rest of the story. I hope the fact that I'm not really a Cloiser doesn't show. I really tried my best. Also, if you haven't read the story in a while, you might want to reread it. I kinda made some changes and edited a few things. It's basically the same and you probably won't notice the difference; but I just tried to make it better.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Davis.

How could Clark forget about Davis?

Probably the same way he forgot about the little boy, Tyson.

But there he is now. Davis Bloom in the flesh; in his _human_ flesh…and he's coming out of Jimmy Olsen's room.

That makes Clark frown. Yes, he's disturbed by the fact that the EMT is alive again; and by how calm Chloe's greeting the man that is not actually a man; but, the thing that's really bothering him is the fact that Jimmy's in the hospital.

What on earth is Jimmy still doing in the hospital?

In _his_ time, Jimmy had gotten out of the hospital days ago. He moved into the Talon with Chloe so that she could take care of him without straining herself financially; and as a result, Lois moved back into the farm.

He only has a split second to wonder where Lois is living now before he notices that Davis is about to leave.

"Hey Davis, wait up," Clark calls while walking quickly to catch up with him.

As he passes Chloe, he notices the curious expression on her face; so he gives her the look that says, 'I'll explain later.' Hoping, but not really believing, that she'll be satisfied with it and back down.

"Do you have a minute? I need to speak with you. Privately," Clark says once he catches up with Davis and the man is giving him his full attention.

"Sure Clark," is Davis's answer; but Clark notices the slight hesitation. Or maybe he just imagined it because of what he knows about the man.

"It'll just be a minute," Clark reassures the man with an honest smile. He's not lying. This won't take long at all. He feels bad about it; but it has to be done. He can't allow Davis Bloom to stay here on earth. Innocent lives are at stake.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Lois has stopped calling Clark, both verbally and via phone.

She's going to kill him. If he thinks he can just keep running off while she's in the middle of lecturing him about the many, many, cons of moping about Lana; and how that train needs to get off the tracks, then he's got another thing coming. He needs to hear this. It's for his own good.

She sets her cup down on the kitchen counter with an air of decisive finality. And just as she does, she hears the back door open.

She wants to rush out there and just let him have it; but she doesn't. She takes a deep breath, crosses her arms over her chest, and waits for him to come to her. It doesn't take him long.

"I'm sorry Lois I"-

Clark was in the middle of apologizing to Lois for running off; but as soon as he walked into the kitchen his words were cut off. Lois is angry. He can tell; but she's doing it again. She's standing the way his daughter, his Jo'an, stands when she's angry or is being impatient about something. It's a stance she learned from her mother; but right now all Clark can think about is how much Lois looks like Jo'an; and how so…Damn….Cute it makes her.

"What?" Lois asks a little warily. She doesn't fully understand the look he's giving her; probably because it's the wrong one. He's supposed to be scared, and nervous; but right now he looks…_amused_. He should not be amused. There's nothing funny about what she has to say.

"What?" Clark repeats innocently. Well, _as _innocently as he can.

Lois narrows her eyes at him; but Clark keeps quiet. He's not crazy enough to tell her she's cute.

Then Lois does something Clark's not expecting her to do. She takes a deep breath and she clasps her hands together in front of her; almost as if she's uneasy about something. The same way Jo'an does it when she's nervous; and_ that _in turn makes him a little nervous.

Then, without any warning whatsoever, Lois marches up to Clark, grabs his wrist and marches him out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

He lets her pull him. He's kinda shocked and confused; though he should be used to it by now. Those are some of the feelings he's come to expect to feel at any moment when dealing with Lois.

She stops abruptly once they're standing next to the dining room table; and Clark does a quick scan of the area, wondering if there's something in here that should catch his eye or jump out at him; something that's not supposed to be there. Something that's out of place; but his quick scan doesn't turn up a thing. There's absolutely _nothing_ that catches his attention. The dining room is as it should be.

He turns slightly to his right and looks over at her; giving her a quizzical look to let her know that she should point out whatever it is he can't, but should, see.

"Clark, sit," Lois commands while simultaneously pushing him down into a chair.

'_Clark? Sit?' _Clark thinks to himself. He knows he's in trouble now.

She sits down in there chair beside him and scoots closer to him before his bottom has fully touched the seat of his chair.

It makes him raise his eyebrow.

It makes him a little nervous.

He watches her clasp and unclasp her hands atop of the table a little more; and he does so warily.

This can't be good. He has a feeling he's not going to like what she has to tell him. Not if _she _doesn't even know how she wants to start off her next sentence. It's the only explanation he can come up with for why Lois hasn't started in on whatever's on her mind yet. Just the thought of Lois trying to organize her thoughts makes Clark extremely grateful that he doesn't physically perspire.

She takes a deep breath; and he takes one with her. Here it comes.

"We're friends, right?" Lois starts off.

As a response, Clark raises his eyebrows. This can go either bad, or worse than bad. More than likely, she's about to ask him a question he can't give a straight answer to because of his secret. Sort of. Well, he told her his secret yesterday, not _this _yesterday, _his _yesterday, and she didn't freak out _that _bad; but then again they'd just lost their _future _daughter so her mind was a little more susceptible to bizarre and strange circumstances concerning him.

"Well, we're not friends _friends, _but we're close enough to be able to tell each other things, right?" Lois continues.

Before Clark can agree, disagree, or even decide to ignore Lois's question, Lois shoots up from her seat and begins pacing back and forth.

"I mean, we should be able to tell each other the truth by now. Right?"

Clark raises his eyebrows again; but he doesn't answer her verbally. He's more than sure she doesn't need one. She's just thinking out loud. She has to be. She's doing her pacing _behind_ his back after all.

"Even if we think the other person isn't ready to hear it," Lois continues.

That line gives Clark pause. Ready to hear it? Does she know something? Did she see him do something? Is she trying to give him a chance to explain what she saw? Is she trying to give him the chance to tell her the truth?

"You know what? I'm just gonna say it," Lois blurts out abruptly while simultaneously plopping down into the seat beside Clark again.

He needs to apologize before she says anything else. He remembers just how angry she was when she found out she was the just about the last to find out about his secret.

"Lois I"-

Lois puts a hand up, stopping Clark before he can get anywhere.

"You need to forget about Lana. There, I said it."

Clark's mouth falls open. That wasn't even the opposite of what he thought she was going to say. That was the last, multiplied by infinity, and mirrored by pond water, thing he expected her to say.

"Look," Lois continues before he can retaliate. This is truly for his own good. He needs to hear it…_again_. "I've told ya before. Ya can't just stick with sweet vanilla. You've _got _to get out there and find a different flavor."-

"Wild cherry," Clark whispers with a faint smile. He remembers that conversation. He remembers it very well actually. Lois also made a comment about a certain activity two people can share; one that involved repetitive motions and building climaxes.

"Exactly, Smallville! You remember," Lois practically sighs in relief. She'd been so sure that he'd break down into tears, yell at her for suggesting something as blasphemous as moving on so soon, or do _anything_ besides smile at her.

"Like you?" Clark asks with a slight cock of his head.

Lois frowns. Like her what?

"Like me what, Smallville?" She decides to ask. She hates being confused; especially when it comes to Clark Kent. It's like an insult or something because he's the simplest human being on the face of the planet.

"Wild cherry, like you," Clark says simply.

It's Lois's turn to drop her jaw onto the table.

"I mean, you would be more of a wild cherry type than vanilla, right? So I should try to find a woman more like you?" Clark asks with an expression he hopes looks more like innocent curiosity and dawning than like the immense joy he's getting out of flustering _the _Lois Lane.

"Yeah Smallville, I uh…I guess you c-could say that," Lois stutters out a few seconds later.

"Lois, thanks , but I'm not ready to date other women," Clark answers.

Lois sighs and mutters, "Can't say that I didn't try," while getting up out of her seat.

Clark stands as well.

"Maybe me and you should go out until I find someone not so vanilla-y."

"What?" Lois asks. She doesn't know why. She heard what Clark said just fine. She doesn't _believe _she heard what Clark said. She won't _let _herself believe she heard him say what he said.

She sits back down into her seat. He follows suit instantaneously.

"Me and you should hang out together. You know, until I'm ready to date other women," Clark clarifies. He's having a bit of fun teasing her; but at the same time, he doesn't want to scare her away.

"So…it wouldn't be like a _date _or anything," Lois clarifies even further.

Clark gives her a noncommittal shrug. _She _can decide on whatever she wants to go with.

"So we'd just be two friends hanging out right?"

Clark can feel his chest deflate a little; but he doesn't miss a bit and gives her an agreeing "right" of his own.

Lois thinks it over for a second. It might not be so bad; and she was, _is_, trying to get him over that whole Lana infatuation _thing_ he's got going for himself.

"Okay," Lois relents. "I guess I could do that. Why not?"

"Good. I'll come by the Talon tomorrow and pick you up at about eight," Clark says while getting up from his seat and attempting to walk into the kitchen. He's suddenly in the mood for pie. He's got plenty of that in the fridge.

"Wait, tomorrow? Eight?" Lois counters while getting up as well and placing a hand on Clark's chest in order to stop him from walking off as if everything's settled. Everything is _not _settled. Far from it.

"Smallville, don't you have to have the cows tucked in by eight?" she asks. It's her way of drawing attention to the fact that _friends _don't pick friends up at eight to go out. _Friends _do coffee, or lunch.

"You want me to pick you up at nine?" Clark frowns.

"No, I"-

"Lois I gotta go. I just remembered I have to do something and I'm running late," Clark supplies quickly while rushing away to get his truck key and simultaneously figuring out where to dump the vehicle. He has enough time to think about how he wouldn't _need _to pretend he's using the truck in order to get to where he's going if he would just tell Lois his secret. It's a huge waste of time; and it could prove fatal for the man screaming for help right now.

He runs past the dining room, truck keys in his hand, and yells, "Tomorrow. Eight," to an immobile Lois. She doesn't so much as blink; but he doesn't have the time to make sure she heard him. Despite the fact that she didn't respond, he's pretty sure she did.

He gets his conformation a few seconds later when he hears Lois ask herself, "What the hell just happened?"

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Next post is Wednesday, March 28th


	59. Chapter 59

**LilyAyl: **Lol. You couldn't be more right if you tried. I absolutely refused to just stick Clark and Lois together because it wasn't believable to me. I had to find a way to make it work in my eyes and this is what I came up with. So glad you don't hate it;)

**Caelli13: **Thank you! And you're welcome. I can't believe you actually waited.

**Anon: **Lol. I'm not entirely familiar with that formula; but I'm more than sure it's a good review. Thank you!

**LoisLaneRocks: **Lol, No, hun, you're seeing right. I'm back. But not for a very long time. There are eleven chapters left, unless I cut a few very long ones in half. I'm glad you're happy though. It kinda makes it worth all the aggravation;)

**Briellehalliwell1018, s01itaire90: **Lol. I love how supportive you're trying to be even though you really, _really, _want me to finish. Unfortunately, there's no way in hell I'm _not_ gonna finish posting this story. I _never _had any intention on not finishing. I'd feel too guilty for that; so now it's all done. And since I had to finish this godforsaken story, there's no point in backing out now. You don't have a choice but to read the rest. So there! :p

**Madcloisfan: **Okay, I will;)

**T, Quathis, whynot1993: **Thank you!

**Cathy03: **Lol, I figured you'd like the fact that the scheduled updates are back on. And you're totally right. I did create a monster. I honestly wasn't expecting so much attention for this story and I was trying too hard to please everyone. It just got out of hand. But I'm back and much better now. Especially since the story's already finished so I won't feel obligated to take any requests unless they're reasonable enough to work them in between updates.

**Awed by Awesomeness: **Lol, such an honest reply. I'm glad you were sure I'd finished and you never gave up hope. It makes me feel good and crappy all at once;) Yes, this is still very much a Chlollie, Clois, Jo'an story. And that's as far into detail as I'm going to go. I'm not a huge fan of spoilers;)

**Mickeiblue: **Yeah, there were some pretty unnecessarily rude comments, but like I said, I'm okay now. I've realized that it's impossible for me to please everyone. So, I've finished the story and I just hope the majority of you enjoy it. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

**Malville: **Thank you so much! I wanna say I don't know how you sat in front of your computer for that long, but it took maybe 6 hours for me to read "The Hunger Games." I couldn't put the book down. I'm flattered that you found this story that riveting.

**Cukeygirl: **Lol. It's okay for you to jump ships. I don't think anything of it. Thanks for your review!

**DaddysGirl81: **Yay! Sailor moon lover! Sorry, the smallest things make me happy;) I'm so happy you like this story. And of course I wouldn't have killed Jo'an off. I'm no baby killer!

**PrincessJazzy23: **Thank you! I'll try my best;) And don't worry, I don't get offended by people who don't ship Chlark.

**Madlenita: **I remember learning something like that when I got older, how the US version of Sailor Moon is censored and the characters' names are really Chibiusa, Usagi, and Mamoru, or something like that. I'm not sure; but thanks for clearing that up for me. Lol. You'll have to tune in to see. I can't give you any hints as to where I'm headed with this story.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"What's up with Smallville?"

Chloe shrugs out an answer about Lois needing to be a little more specific before stepping into a pair of casual blue jeans. She's not trying to be rude or anything like that. It's just that not only is "what's up with Clark," a very common question, but it could also mean a million things. And out of those a _million_ things it could mean, she's probably only allowed to talk about a dozen or so of those things _truthfully_.

"He's acting strange," Lois shrugs as if it's no big deal; but it is. It so is. She's used to the farm boy and his abnormalities; but sometimes, he just gets weirder.

"Again I say, I'll need specifics," Chloe reiterates without so much of a glance her cousin's way. She's too busy staring into her closet, wondering what top she should wear. Again, she's not being rude. Not only does Chloe need Lois to be specific about whatever weird thing her Smallville did this time, but she's also in a bit of a rush. She's supposed to be meeting Davis at the hospital so they can talk…about everything; which mostly consists of Jimmy and the feelings Davis have toward her, but _shouldn't_ have.

"He asked me out."

"Really?" Chloe asks. She tries her best to act as if she's surprised/confused/amused/skeptical. She knows her cousin's watching every expression that might flicker across her face and she doesn't want to seem as if she's _not_ surprised/confused/amused/skeptical; because then Lois will know that Chloe knows something and she won't let Chloe breathe until she knows _everything_ her baby cousin knows. And her baby cousin knows a hell of a lot.

"Really? That's all you have to say? I just said, _Smallville_ asked me out," Lois reiterates.

"Well, are you sure he was asking you _out, _out; or was he just asking you out?" Chloe supplies before Lois can get it in her head that she knows what's going on…even though she _does _indeed know what's going on.

"Oh, I'm sure," Lois gets up and rushes over to her cousin as if she's got a really good piece of gossip to share. The way Chloe just asked that question made Lois feel as if her cousin thinks that _she _thinks she got more out of the farm boy's offer to hang out than he was proposing. Like she's some hopelessly in love teenager waiting for the guy next door to notice her and has misread his offer of a "friendly" evening out with a "friend."

Oh no. Chloe. Lois can't believe she didn't think of her baby cousin. Sure, she's married to Jimmy Olsen; but Lois has noticed there's a strain on the relationship. She's also noticed that the aforementioned strain was caused by Chloe's drop-whatever-she's-doing-to-help-Clark friendship. Which means her cousin is probably still harboring feelings toward her so-called best friend. The thought of Clark maybe moving on, and with her cousin to boot, is probably hurting Chloe, Lois thinks to herself.

Chloe stares back at her cousin. She has no choice but to give Lois her full attention. She's standing between her and the closet with an odd look on her face; one that looks dangerously close to sympathy; but it can't be sympathy because Lois has no reason to feel sorry for her. Well, other than the fact that her husband's in the hospital; but this doesn't look like the "I'm sorry Jimmy's in the hospital," look. This is something different altogether.

"What?" Chloe sighs.

"Cuz, if you don't want me to go out with Small-, _Clark_, I won't."

Chloe frowns at Lois suspiciously. "Why wouldn't I want you to go out with Clark?"

Lois doesn't answer right away. Just raises her eyebrows, giving Chloe that knowing look.

Chloe doesn't get it. Well, she does, but she pretends she doesn't. Hopefully her cousin will stop thinking about _whatever_ she's thinking about and change the subject. She doesn't feel like spending half an hour, or however long it might take her, to convince Lois that she's not in love with Clark Kent.

No such luck. Lois pulls the, "Chloe, you know what I'm talking about," card.

Chloe steps around her cousin and starts going through her closet again.

"Clark and I are just friends," she explains without as much exasperation as she can hold back. She's really getting tired of saying that.

"Yeah but"-

"Wear this," Chloe cuts Lois off and shoves an article of clothing into her chest.

Lois looks down at the bottoms Chloe just handed her.

"Where's the rest of them?" she frowns, holding the shorts up to her face and turning them this way and that way.

Chloe laughs. "You should wear them on your date with Clark."

"It's not a date," Lois answers so quickly her response seems more automatic than truth.

"Sure it's not," Chloe smirks after finally selecting a top and dressing.

"It's not!" Lois says a little louder than necessary.

Chloe's tempted to make a crack somewhere along the lines of "the lady protesting too much;" but she keeps it to herself. Instead, she says, "Of course it's not a date, Lois," before giving her cousin a wink, a patronizing pat on the shoulder, and leaving the room. Even after shutting the front door behind herself, Chloe can hear her cousin yelling that it's not a date.

It only makes her smile. Looks like it won't be that hard for Clark to make Lois fall in love with him. She's already on her way there. Probably has been for a while now.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark is getting ready for his date with Lois when his phone rings…and it's not Lois calling. It's Chloe. He kinda doesn't want to answer. Well, he _really_ doesn't want to answer. He has an idea of what she wants to talk about and he really doesn't feel like talking about how he should tell Lois his secret or it won't work; just like it didn't work with Lana for the same reason.

But he can't exactly ignore her call on the off chance that it is an emergency.

So he answers, and the first thing Chloe says is, "Clark, have you seen Davis by any chance?"

He gaps down at his phone. Now, he'd rather have that argument about telling Lois his secret because he doesn't want to tell Chloe about Davis being in the Phantom Zone.

"Clark? Are you there?"

He puts the phone up to his ear and stutters out a, "yeah Chloe, I'm still here."

There's a lengthy pause before Chloe lets out a suspicious "_Clark_?" And there's no doubt in Clark's mind that Chloe has caught on to _something. _

"Yes, Chloe?"

"What are you not telling me?"

_Always straight to the point with this one, _Clark groans to himself as he makes his way to the kitchen. Sometimes he wishes he didn't have a best friend who was so damn observant all the time.

"Chloe, I"-

"Daddy?"

Clark stands absolutely still. He's not sure if he's hearing things. He hopes he is and he hopes he isn't. Either way is both bad…and good.

"_Daddy?_"

It's that voice again; and he tries to convince himself that it's not real. He just keeps thinking about his little girl so much that his mind is playing tricks on him; and besides, her voice sounds a little different.

"You what Clark?" Chloe questions, her voice unnecessarily loud in his ear. He's still on the phone with her. He almost forgot.

He takes a deep breath before saying, "I sent Davis to the Phantom Zone," as quickly as he can get the words to leave his mouth.

"You what! But why…what's"-

"Daddy! I know you hear me!"

Clark jerks and turns around immediately. There was no way he imagined _that;_ and there she is.

There's a reason her voice sounds different. She looks different. Not much different; just a little _older_.

"Chloe, I gotta call you back," Clark whispers before hanging up his phone. His eyes never leave his daughter's face. He feels like he's looking at a ghost; and he has a really strong urge to poke her to make sure she's real…after pinching himself to make sure _he's_ not dreaming.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she frowns.

"How…are you…um, how did you…" Clark stutters.

Jo'an takes a few steps toward her father. He doesn't back away. That's good. She was so sure he would because he seems to be scared of her. She doesn't know why as she's just a girl. Okay, so she can pick up cars and run really fast and stuff; but he can do all that stuff too. He's where she gets _her _gifts from.

"Are you…are you gonna _barf_,Daddy?"

He chuckles to himself despite the fact that he sorta _does _feel like barfing just a little. Jo'an shouldn't be here in the past; yet here she is…_again_.

"How old are you?" he asks her.

"Nine."

Three years. Three years have gone by since he gave her the locket and letter for her mother. Why does he feel like something went wrong? Something other than the fact that his future daughter is standing in his living room…_again_?

"How did you get here?" he asks; though the answer is quite obvious. She got here the same way she got here last time; the legion ring.

He was supposed to remove the ring, put it in a different hiding place last night but he forgot. Or maybe he subconsciously "forgot" on purpose, so that something like this _could _happen again.

No, that's not it. If anything, he would've subconsciously believed that he would be there, in the future, with Lois and his daughter. Therefore she wouldn't have had a reason to search for him. He'd already be there.

"I used the do-over ring," Jo'an answers in a tone that suggests she forgot to add the "duh" to the end of her answer.

Clark nearly rolls his eyes at her, falling back on old habits his developed with Lois. His child is three years older, and seems to be three times more like her mother than she was before.

"Yeah, but how did you get to the ring," Clark asks. Even if _he _forgot to remove the ring, one would think his mother and/or his future…Lois would remove the ring after reading his letters.

"Oh, I got it from the floor board in the barn."

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. He would have thought for sure that Lois would've _at_ _least_ tried to hide the ring in a different hiding place.

"Lois, your mother, didn't hide the ring in a better place after she read my letter?"

Clark's not _really _asking Jo'an that question with the expectation of her answering. He's more or less speaking out loud with the hopes that his daughter will answer.

He gets lucky.

She answers; albeit a bit reluctantly.

"Uh…I didn't give Grandma and Mom their letters."

Clark's mouth drops.

"What? Why not?"

As an answer, Jo'an shrugs her shoulders with a bit of forced nonchalance.

Clark's about to do a bit of well-practiced fatherly reprimanding, but Jo'an approaches him slowly and wraps her arms around his waist.

"I missed you," she sniffs.

Clark falls for it immediately; like he always has; just like she never left. He wraps his arms around her tightly; because he's missed her too. He's missed her so much; but in the back of his mind he realizes she doesn't remember the time she spent here on the farm with him and Lois. She only remembers the day he sent her back. They'd spent no more than five minutes together.

"I'm not crying," he hears her sniffle.

He keeps his chuckle inside. Of course she's not crying. Lanes don't cry.

So he changes the subject; or gets _back _on subject actually.

"Why didn't you give Mommy her letter?" he asks softly; that way his daughter would know that he's not angry with her.

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders again before confessing she read the letters and decided she didn't want her mom and grandmother to have them.

"You _read _their letters? How could you do that!"

Jo'an stiffens. "Hey, I was six. I could read since _kindergarten_, Daddy!"

But Clark wasn't questioning her ability to read as a six year old, he was commenting on the fact that she invaded her mother and grandmother's privacy.

Clark pulls back away from her, holding her at arm's length. "Those letters weren't for you, Jo'an. They were for Mommy and Grandma. You shouldn't have read them," he reprimands.

"You said you'll see us soon. You never came," Jo'an pouts.

Despite the fact that Clark realizes Jo'an wouldn't have known that he wrote that _unless _she read the letters, thereby her answer to his question isn't an answer, it's a deflection, he still ends up feeling guilty. He _did _write that he'll see his family soon; because he believed that. His plan had been to find a way to stay here, on earth, with his daughter and his…Lois. Apparently Jo'an has been waiting for him to come home, like he promised.

He's surprised she waited three years to seek him out again.

Three years. Looks like she's got more of the Kent patience than he thought. There's no way Lois would wait that long.

"Knock, knock!"

_See!_ Clark thinks to himself. Lois can't even wait a whole half hour! It's seven thirty. He told her he'd pick her up at eight. What's she doing here at the farm? Now. While Jo'an's here.

And that's the problem right there he realizes. He really has no problem with Lois just showing up as a general rule; well, not anymore; but Jo'an's here. Their daughter from the future! If Lois sees her all hell will break loose…_again_.

"Jo'an, hide," Clark demands urgently.

As a response, Jo'an just frowns. It's her Mom. Why would she hide from her mom?

"Now," Clark urges; and to his relief Jo'an does as he asks. If she would've stayed downstairs for just a second longer, Lois would've seen her when she rounded the corner and entered the kitchen.

Clark's jaw drops at the sight of her. She's not dressed fancy or anything, a tank top and some shorts; but those shorts…

"They're uh, short," he accidently says as he _accidently_ openly stares at all of those legs spilling out of the bottom.

"You don't like them?" Lois smirks. She knows that's not the case; but she doesn't expect him to answer.

"I like them," Clark answers as he puts his hands in his pockets and looks down at the ground with a heavy sigh. He really,_ really_, likes those shorts; but he won't be able to see her in them for much longer. He's gotta be a responsible father, make sure his daughter gets back home safely, and make sure she understands the importance of time travel; how it could damage the future etc.

He has to cancel his date with Lois.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Sunday, April 1st. Also, for those of you wondering where this story is headed, I_ can_ tell you that it's basically canon with a few tweaks here and there. Hope you enjoy it!

.


	60. Chapter 60

**Buzzygrl07: **Lol, thanks! I'm gonna hold you to that. I'm writing a book right now;)

**whynot1993, jafr86, Madcloisfan, TIBP906: **Thank you!

**Jstarr713: **Lol. You got that right!

**Cathy03: **Lol, stop freaking out. I _did _say I was _tweaking _canon, didn't I;)

**Katlynne: **Hi! Long time no see. Yeah, I'm back. Hope you like it!

**Awed by Awesomeness: **Stop it! You're making me blush. I'm sure there's a million awesome OCs out there, far better than Jo'an. Lol, but thank you for the compliment. I'm glad you're glad that she's back.

**Chronos the cookie thief: **Lol, we'll see; and thanks for the review!

**Firefaerie15: **aw, don't get misty-eyed. It makes me all uncomfortable. Glad you're liking the story!

**ReadingRed: **I know right? It's very canon indeed.

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Lol, I hope you see some awesome Jo'an moments too!

**Quathis: **Lol. You're so right. I'm sure Clark is all kinds of confused and afraid to make the slightest mistakes.

**LoisLaneRocks: **Yeah, you and everyone else;)

**GottaLoveThis: **Thank you for all the understanding and encouragement. I really appreciate it. Hope you're able to enjoy the rest of this;)

**Madlenita: **You're Welcome!

**Nequam-tenshi: **Who's Hoanna? I don't remember that character.

**Cukeygirl: **Lol. No, you shouldn't be wary of me updating on April fools day. I'm not mean; and this isn't a Clois fic, It's a _Jo'an_ fic. She just takes over. I can't seem to get rid of her and neither can Clark it seems;)

**Mayacita: **Yeah, you're pretty different for a Cloiser, but I can understand where you're coming from. Thanks for reviewing!

**JosiahGirl: **Thank you for the heavy praise. I'm glad you like this story so much! It makes me remember why I let myself be pushed into continuing even though I wanted to stop way earlier;)

**Lilbit4: **Lol

**IceQueen825: **Lol. Of course you want me to post sooner, I'd expect nothing less from you; but I said the story was finished, as in _written_. It's not all up on my computer yet. I've typed up to chapter 63 right now, well my 63, your 64. I had to cut chapter 62 in half cause it was really long. I'll probably end up cutting more in half too.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

It doesn't take long for Lois to decide to leave. She yells at Clark a little, telling him that he could've at least called to tell her that he can't go out. Clark tells her he's sorry and that it's a last minute emergency. She asks him what kind of an emergency. He falters and stutters out approximately two "I uh,"s before Lois rolls her eyes and says never mind before walking away.

Their exchange takes one minute and forty-six seconds, but feels much longer than that to Clark due to the mixed feelings he's experiencing. On one hand, he very much wants Lois to stay; so much so that he has the strongest urge to grab her hand and pull her back toward him before she can get the chance to walk out of his front door. Then again, he needs her to get out as soon as possible before Jo'an decides she's feeling impatient and comes out to greet her mommy. At least, the old Jo'an would have done that by now.

He glances behind himself several times, hoping Jo'an doesn't suddenly appear as her mother is leaving. And as Lois finally reaches the door, he holds his breath. If she turns around and Jo'an appears this very second, he'll be screwed.

But Lois doesn't look back. She just opens the door, exits, and shuts the door without so much glancing back his way. Somehow, he can't dredge up any feelings of relief because of the fact that he narrowly escaped a huge mess. Probably because he's made another kind of mess with Lois; but he reassures himself that this one will be _much _easier to clean up than the other one would've been.

"Okay, Daddy; why the heck was I hiding from Mom?"

Clark turns around to face his daughter. She's got her arms crossed over her chest, one hip jutted to the side, and she's tapping her left foot impatiently. It's like getting double teamed or something. Clark blinks a few times and shakes his head. He's got to remember that he's talking to Jo'an, not a little Lois. He's the parent for goodness sakes! It's not the other way around.

With that mental pep talk still on his mind, he grabs a hold of Jo'an's hand and leads her to the couch. He sits first, and sets her on his lap just like he used to do when she was here before; but he quickly realizes that she's not six anymore. She makes this face at him, almost as if she's a little uncomfortable. It makes him feel sad. She's probably feels too old to sit on his lap. He remembers how she hated being treated like a baby when she was six. He has no doubt that she hasn't changed much, at least, not in that aspect.

He's missing so much of her life. Though he does realize that he hasn't_ really_ missed three more years of her life, he still feels that way. It makes him even more determined to make things work with Lois; even if that means telling her his secret.

"Hello!"

Clark's forced to blink away his run away thoughts as Jo'an waves her hand in front of his face. He apologizes and tries to set her down on the couch, but she immediately wraps her arms around his neck.

"I was just putting you on the couch, Jo'an," Clark smiles down at her a little worriedly. He has no idea what's going on in her head, but the way she just grabbed him was a little alarming; like she thought he was about to throw her over his shoulder and kick her out of the house.

"I'm okay here," is Jo'an's response.

Clark raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? You're not too old?"

"No. Well, at home I am, but I'm probably not too old _here_," she shrugs.

Clark smiles goofily. He remembers how his daughter seemed to favorite everyone over him, especially Oliver; but now it seems as if he's the special one. A guy could get used to this.

"So, you gonna tell me why I had to hide from Mom or what?"

Clark snaps back to reality for the second time within a minute. That's right. He has something very important to tell his daughter.

"Jo'an, you can't just use the Legion Ring to come and visit me. It's not a toy," Clark starts off.

"But I wanted to see you again."

"You can't. It's dangerous."

Jo'an furrows her brow skeptically. "How?" she challenges.

"You can mess things up by being here in the past, like a butterfly effect."-

"I'm not going to mess anything up!" Jo'an interrupts.

Clark tries to calm her down by grabbing a hold of her hand gently. "You won't mean to, but you will," he says quietly.

Jo'an snatches her hand from her father's and hops out of his lap. "You just don't want to see me!" she accuses.

"That's not true!" Clark counters quickly, because it's not. Not even a little. He would love nothing more than to be able to see Jo'an everyday for the rest of his life.

Jo'an stares at her father, long and hard. He stares back at her, hoping she'll be able to see that he's being honest by his expression alone.

"Fine, I'm going home," Jo'an announces, and before Clark can respond, she pulls the ring out of her pocket, puts it on her finger, and disappears.

"Jo'an!" he calls; but it's no use. She's already gone.

There's a knock on the door soon after, and Clark rushes to answer it, thinking that Lois has come back; but if he had been thinking clearly, he would've remembered that Lois doesn't exactly knock. So, when he opens the door he sees a familiar face, it's just not Lois's face.

"Linda Lake. What are you doing here?"

"Watching you. Impressive as always," she replies with that eerie smile of hers before trying to take a step forward. Clark blocks her way. There's no way she's setting foot in his house.

"You're a murderer. You should be in prison."

Linda smiles; and as if she didn't notice Clark bluntly blocking her way inside, she takes another step forward. "The police cleared my name. Besides, there's no prison sentence worse than where I've been; circling the drain of obscurity. I'm a nobody, Kent. Two years living underground dried up my prophetic pen. But I'm ready to make another splash."

Clark shakes his head. He can't believe he's hearing this. "Haven't your stories ruined enough lives?

"Oh, no," Linda chuckles and holds her hands out in a "wait a minute" gesture. "It's different this time. I want to be the voice of the red-blue blur. Every rescue, every takedown, every kitten that you rescue from a tree, you leak the story to me first. My name will be known alongside yours on papers around the globe.

"Chloe was right; you are crazy." Clark scoffs.

She shrugs while keeping that eerie smile in place. "I prefer ambitious. In fact, I spent a few hours of my morning... writing your life story."

Clark's eyes widen as Linda pulls out an article about him. "Partner with me," she continues, "and I'll shred it. You turn your back on me, and the whole world reads about little orphan alien."

"We've gone through this before. I'll stop you," he answers through clenched teeth.

Linda just smiles her eerie smile again before turning her back on him. "Not this time. You'll make a great headline, Kent," she calls over her shoulder.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

"Guess how my date with Clark went," is what Lois says to Chloe as a greeting as soon as she walks in the door.

Chloe barely looks up from her computer as she answers her cousin with a barely audible, "uh-huh." She's too engrossed in her research; not that her trusty laptop is turning up anything useful on Davis Bloom. She needs to use a more powerful computer; like maybe the one at the ISIS foundation.

"You're supposed to say "I thought it wasn't a date."" Lois frowns back at Chloe.

"Oh, I thought it wasn't a date," Chloe immediately regurgitates back. She never lifts her fingers from the keyboard or her eyes from the computer screen.

Lois cocks an eyebrow at her cousin. "Really? I've been gone for thirty minutes. How the hell do you think it went?"

Still, Chloe fails to respond with the right amount of enthusiasm, or even the right response for that matter.

Lois feels a nerve in her jaw twitch, but at the same time she's intrigued. What could Chloe be working on that's got her focused so hard? And since she _is _Lois Lane, she decides to find out.

"Whatcha got there, cuz?" She calls as she quickly approaches Chloe.

Chloe closes the lid on her lap top, and when she notices that by doing so she's piqued Lois's interest even further, she groans inwardly. It wasn't her intention to raise Lois's suspicions. She picks up her laptop and decides to take it with her. There's no doubt in her mind that Lois would have a hard time getting past her firewalls, but one should never underestimate Lois Lane.

"Hey! Where're ya going," Lois calls after Chloe as she picks up her keys and heads toward the door.

Chloe shrugs out a, "Nowhere. I'll be home soon. Glad you had fun on your date," before she shuts the door behind her. She barely hears Lois yell back that it wasn't a date.

It's really late by the time she gets to the ISIS foundation, but Chloe isn't sleepy. She's confused. She called Clark several times but he didn't answer her calls. He's probably busy saving someone's life, but that brings her absolutely no comfort. She wants to know what's going on. Why on earth did he send Davis to the Phantom Zone? Humans don't belong there. Clark knows that. And since Clark is aware of that, then what does that mean about Davis?

She lets herself into the building and heads straight for the computers.

What kind of a non-human was Davis if Clark sent him to the Phantom Zone? Was Jimmy right about him? He kept having those nightmares. Nightmares so vivid he even called the police a few times.

Chloe hacks into Metgen's security system and goes through camera footage.

She can feel guilt begin to creep up on her. She tazed jimmy because she thought he was attacking an innocent man; but what if…what if…

Is that…Oliver?

Chloe squints her eyes a little and focuses on the man emerging from his room. There's something in his hand. Something that looks familiar. She zooms in on the image and gasps.

It's the toy bomb; the one that was used to kill Lex just yesterday. Which means…

Oliver killed Lex.


	61. Chapter 61

**Nequam-tenshi: **Oh, lol. No wonder I didn't know who you were talking about. Besides, her name's just Jo'an. Not Joanna. And Linda Lake appeared during season eight's "Infamous."

**Alexindigo**: Hey, nice to see ya again! Lol. I'll try my best, to focus on the fans. Nah, I'm just kidding. I've learned my lesson. I know I can't please everyone. So I'm not even gonna try anymore. I'm just gonna finish the story 'cause I promised people that I would. Again, I'm glad to see ya again;)

**Cathy03: **Thanks, and Chloe was reviewing hospital footage, where Davis worked and Jimmy was a patient. I mentioned the hospital, but I called it "MetGen" instead of Metropolis General. That's when she saw Oliver coming out of his room instead.

**ReadingRed: **Lol, like I said, it's pretty much canon but tweaked;)

**IceQueen825: **Lol.

**Quathis, Madcloisfan,: LoisLaneRocks** Thank you!

**Mayacita: **Yeah, I'm sure you're not the only one. Don't worry, it's coming;)

**GottaLoveThis: **Lol, Cloiser or no Cloiser, I wouldn't dare let Jo'an mess up her own conception;) She's the best part of Clois, for me anyway;)

**Firefaerie15: **Lol, you're the one who sent the equation! It was totally funny, made me smile a lot. Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**CaptainTightPants12: **Hey! Thanks for the review, and also thanks for keeping people entertained with a bunch of Jo'an-ness while I was away. Besides being totally flattered; I really appreciated it;)

**CHEAR: **It made you angry huh? Lol. Oh well, in the end you can only do one of two things; stop reading this fic or get over it and keep reading.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Eleven times. That's how many times Clark calls Lois's phone before she answers. He's not surprised; it's 6:00am after all.

"What?"

He smiles to himself. He can practically hear her wipe the drool off her chin. It's habit for her. He knows because just a couple days ago he was sleeping with her.

"Get up and come to the farm. It's an emergency."

"What kind," she practically snores; and there's no doubt in Clark's mind that she's just turned over on her side and rested the phone on top of her ear so she wouldn't have to hold it.

"Work; a headlining story," he answers brightly. He knows what he's going to do about Linda. He's going to have Lois tell his story. Linda can't blackmail him with exposure if he's _already _exposed. Plus, he's been wanting to tell Lois his secret for a while now. Here's his chance.

"Okay," Lois says. Then she hangs up.

Clark looks at his phone and shakes his head. Lois went back to sleep. He's sure of it. So, he calls her again.

"What?" She answers a bit grouchier than the first time.

"Get out of the bed, Lane."

"I'm not in bed, I'm up."

"No you're not; you've pulled the blanket over your head."

There's a pause on Lois's end, then she lets out a suspicious, "How'd you know that?"

Clark just smiles before telling her to hurry up; then he hangs up.

He knows she's going right back to sleep; she possibly even rolled her eyes first, so he gives her two more minutes before he calls again.

"What?" This "what" was more of a whine, that hiss type whine she and Jo'an do when they're exasperated. He won't have to call her again after this.

"Get dressed Lane; and you can stop looking around because I'm not spying on you from behind a bush outside your window. I'm at the farm where _you_ need to be before this story is snatched up by someone else."

"Okay, seriously, Smallville; how'd you know?"

Clark smiles. He can hear her getting up and out of the bed. She's probably checking the windows for him anyway.

"Smallville?"

"I just know you," Clark answers satisfactorily before hanging up on her.

"I understand now, Daddy!"

Clark whirls around and is face to face with his future daughter once again. Why didn't he destroy the ring already?

"Jo'an!"- He starts to reprimand her but his daughter cuts him off.

"Okay, don't get mad. I did exactly what you said. I watched "The Butterfly Effect" and I know what you meant when you said using the do-over ring is dangerous; but, I promise I won't touch stuff or let Mom see me or anything. I just wanna see you sometimes, okay?"

Clark sighs. It's not okay. "Jo'an…" He stops there as he lets Jo'an's words sink in. "You…you watched "The Butterfly Effect?"

"You told me to."

"No I didn't. I"-

"Did too!"

"No I-What's the rating on that?" Clark asks, deciding he doesn't want to argue with his nine year old. He's much too mature for that; even though he has the smallest urge to say, "No I didn't times infinity."

"Uh…"

"It's R isn't it?"

"Uh…"

"Mommy let you watch a rated R movie?"

"No," Jo'an scoffs. "Mercy let me watch a rated R movie…" Jo'an's eyes widen and she covers her mouth as she realizes she just tattled on herself. "I mean…oops."

Clark pinches the bridge of his nose. Why does this have to be so complicated? Why does his daughter have to be "secret best friends" with Tess Mercer, his boss? Seriously, it's not like he can just go up to Tess and tell her what he thinks about her for letting his baby watch something that's not age appropriate. But he really, really, wishes he could. He'd give Jo'an a message to take back to her "Mercy", but he doubts his daughter would actually give it to her.

"What did you do to Mom?"

Clark blinks down at Jo'an. What is she talking about?

"She's mad; listen."

Clark does as his daughter says and tunes in until he can hear Lois's voice. It's not hard. She's on her way here and she's using a lot of "grown up" words.

Clark shakes his head. Why can't she just mutter, "I don't know why I have to get up so early?" Is it really necessary to add all the profanity to such a simple statement? Honestly, she's made it twice as long by adding the D, F, and S words so many times.

"So, why's Mom mad?" Jo'an repeats.

Clark frowns down at his daughter.

"What?" she says defensively. "I'll be gone before Mom gets here. She won't see me, I promise."

Clark shakes his head slightly. "It's not that. It's just…"

"Just what, Daddy?"

"You used to call her Mommy. Not Mom. I miss it," Clark confesses.

Jo'an rolls her eyes and sighs exasperatedly. "I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know, but you're still her baby. No matter how old you get."

Jo'an raises an eyebrow and works her jaw from side to side. Her daddy can't be serious.

"Come here. Let me hug you goodbye. Mommy's, _Mom's_, almost here."

Jo'an rolls her eyes as she steps into her father's embrace. "We still got time, she just now pulled up. I'm not that slow."

Clark laughs as he holds his daughter tight. She thinks he underestimated her speed. Really, he just wanted the hug to last as long as possible because he's going to destroy the legion ring. That way Jo'an can't come back. He knows it's the right thing to do.

"Okay, gotta go," Jo'an announces abruptly before standing on her tippy toes to kiss Clarks cheek. Then she disappears and Lois bursts in just moments later.

"Okay, where's the story?"

Clark grins and takes a few steps toward Lois. He exhales deeply and then he says, "Here."

Lois frowns. "What?"

"Me."

"You what?"

"I'm the story."

Lois raises an eyebrow and works her jaw from side to side. He can't be serious.

Clark tries his best not to laugh, but Jo'an just did that; That, eyebrow, jaw, _thing_.

"Tell me you're joking Smallville"-

"Lois I'm not"-

"Tell me you didn't wake me up before the sun rose just so that I could write a story for the "lonely seeking lonely" or the classifieds, because no offence to you, but I've long since graduated from _that_ kind of journalism."

"Lois, I'm the"-

"I'm going home; and I'm going back to bed." Lois interrupts.

"But Lois I,"-

"No, actually, I'm going upstairs to sleep. Wake me up in"-

Clark zooms in front of Lois, blocking her way upstairs. It was the best way he could think to make her shut up long enough to hear him out. And he's right because now her eyes are wide and her jaw is on the floor.

"How…how'd you"-

"Do that?" he finishes for her.

She doesn't answer. Just stares at him while nodding her head.

"I'm the Red-Blue Blur."

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Chloe didn't get much sleep the night before. Even if she hadn't spent the night on one of the most uncomfortable couches ever, she wouldn't have been able to sleep. There's too much on her mind; like Davis and the fact that he's not human; and Oliver, the man who killed Lex Luther; and Jimmy, her husband. He's being released today, which is why Chloe decided to stay the night over at ISIS. It wouldn't have made much sense to drive back to Smallville last night, only to come right back up here to Metropolis to pick Jimmy up.

At first she doesn't really notice anything different about the hospital when she arrives. Not until she gets to the receptionist's desk and lets the woman know she's here to pick up Jimmy Olsen.

The woman gives her a blank look. Then she practically squeals. "_You're_ Chloe; you're the alien's best friend!"

Chloe's mouth drops open as the woman pulls out a page from this morning's issue of the Daily Planet. Clark's on the first page, and Lois is the one who put him there.

She leaves the hospital immediately and calls Clark. She doesn't know what he was thinking when he outted himself.

He doesn't answer, not that it matters anyway. It's not very hard to find him though. All a person's gotta do is follow the crowd.

She can't exactly get to him, but she can see just fine. She watches him sign a few autographs, she watches the crowd congratulate and applaud him; she even sees a young girl fall from an escape ladder no more than fifteen feet up, just so that Clark can catch her.

Chloe has to smile at the girl's blind faith. Maybe they're ready for him. Maybe everything will be okay. She takes one last look at the crowd; they're showing Clark their support. She'll let him have this moment. Later, she'll ask about Davis, and then she'll tell him about Oliver.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Monday, April 9th.


	62. Chapter 62

**whynot1993,: **Thank you!

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Lol, Don't be so surprised. It's canon;) But I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself!

**Firefaerie15: **Lol, I'm glad you enjoyed that. It was funny that Jo'an watched an R rated movie to me, and _still _missed the point of how time travel can be dangerous.

**Mayacita: **Yeah, it's pretty bad. I never really understood why she was so upset; but oh well.

**Nequam-tenshi: **Lol. Why not? It's canon;)

**CHEAR: **I don't exactly know who TPTB is, but there's a disclaimer on chapter one. I don't remember the exact words, but I'm sure it says that I used a lot of ideas, quotes, and dialouge from seasons 8 and 9. I didn't think I would have to put the disclaimer up for every chapter. 'Cause let's face it, that's a whole lotta chapters, partner;)

**Lilbit4: **Aw, I'm sorry someone stole your glasses, but I am glad I could make you feel a little better.

**Quathis: **Lol, no, neither of them would like the idea of Jo'an being called a mini Lois, but they really should get over it 'cause it's true;)

**Madlenita: **Of course you're wondering;)

**Madcloisfan: **You'll just have to see;)

**Cathy03: **But Davis is already in the phantom zone;)

**Alexindigo**: Hey, nice to see ya again! Lol. I'll try my best, to focus on the fans. Nah, I'm just kidding. I've learned my lesson. I know I can't please everyone. So I'm not even gonna try anymore. I'm just gonna finish the story 'cause I promised people that I would. Again, I'm glad to see ya again;)

**ReadingRed: **Lol, like I said, it's pretty much canon but tweaked;)

**IceQueen825: **Just hold on for a few more chapters and you'll get your yucky Cloisness;) Lol. You can do it!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark's beginning to realize that maybe coming out wasn't the best idea. At least not right now. Sure, Lois got an editor's promotion, and he's got a penthouse office right next to Tess Mercer, but at what cost? His mother's been forced to take a leave of absence, Linda Lake is on television accusing him of murdering Lex, and now he's sitting across from a government official who wants to "take him in for questioning."

"Look, Linda Lake is lying through her teeth," Clark repeats for the second time.

The agent leans forward in his seat and clasps his hands together. "Her points line up, Clark. So why don't you just tell me who you're working with?"

Clark shakes his head. The man isn't absorbing a word he's saying to him. "Like I said, I'm not working with anyone. I was sent here alone."

"To do what, work on a farm? It's pretty clear there's a bigger agenda here."

"Look, my father sent me here with a dying wish that I use my abilities to protect mankind. It's what I've always done. It's what I'm gonna continue to do," Clark answers with conviction; but the lead agent buys none of it.

"And I'm sure if I ask your friends, they attest to that? Hmm? Friends like Lois lane? You gave her the front page of a lifetime. Now, if she's been keeping your secret, she could be aiding and abetting an enemy of the state."

Clark can feel his stomach start to turn. This just keeps getting worst. They're going to go after Lois too? "No, Lois is innocent. Everything she knows is in her story," he practically pleads. Still the agent continues as if he hadn't heard Clark speak.

"And Chloe Sullivan? Impressive how long she kept your secret. How many other secrets is she keeping, Clark?"

Clark stands to his feet. "Look, I have been open about everything you've asked me," he tells him.

The agent stands as well, and walks around Clark until he's behind him. "And I appreciate it. I really do. I'm sure you won't have any problem with us running some tests."

Tests? Clark turns around to face the agent, but the agent is no longer alone. There are more agents coming in through his front door; a little more than half a dozen. They all have guns; and the guns are all aimed at him. "No one agreed to any tests; only to answer the questions you asked of me," Clark says evenly.

"Just calm down and everything will be fine, all right?" the lead agent unconvincingly assures him.

Just then, one of the gun-holders approaches him and tries to take him in…as if he would actually go. Clark easily brushes him aside. "No one's running any tests," he says firmly.

That's all the lead agent needed to see and hear. He shouts "Fire!" and all the others open fire on him; which wouldn't have affected Clark normally. He can't feel the bullets. The worst part usually would've been the big mess he'd have to clean, and new clothes and furniture he'd have to buy afterward; but this time he hears a little girl; _his_ little girl. She's in the house, right behind him.

"Daddy! What's going on?" Jo'an has to yell to be heard, even though she's mere inches away. Who knew gunfire was so loud?

Clark picks his daughter up, tosses her over his shoulder, and rushes her away from the farm. Again, he curses himself for not destroying the Legion ring.

"Why are we running away? You can take all of them!" Jo'an yells as soon as he puts her down.

"They were _shooting_ while you were in the house, Jo'an. You"-

"The bullets weren't gonna hurt me, Daddy," Jo'an interrupts with an exasperated roll of her eyes.

He'd love to tell her that he knows that; and that she wasn't the reason he left; because he knows what she's just said is true. Regular bullets won't hurt Jo'an; but _nobody's_ shooting at his baby.

"Even if you didn't come, Jo'an, I wasn't going to "take them down," he answers instead; knowing that they were never going to agree on his paternal instinct to get his baby out of the way of flying bullets. She'd just insist that she's not a baby.

Jo'an frowns back at her father. He's not making any sense; but he doesn't seem inclined to elaborate either, so she prompts him herself. "So, _why_ aren't you getting rid of them?"

"Because even if I get rid of _them_, there's more where they came from," he answers immediately. Jo'an stares at her daddy blankly. It sounds like he's lecturing her. Jo'an _really_ hates lectures; but she might need a better explanation than _that_. So what if there are more where they come from. There's no doubt in her mind that her father could take on _more._

Clark sighs and runs a hand through his hair before stooping a little so that he's at eye level with his daughter. "I made a mistake; a huge and terrible mistake. Fighting them won't help me fix it. Do you understand?"

Jo'an nods her head. She understands mistakes. She makes a lot of those. "So why don't you just use the do-over ring?" she shrugs.

"Jo'an I've told you, it's not a toy," Clark sighs again.

Jo'an scowls back at him. "I _know _that, Daddy; but this is an _emergency_."

Clark cocks his head to the side thoughtfully. She's right. This is an emergency. He could turn back time and do today all over again.

Jo'an grins. "I'm right, huh Daddy?"

Clark smiles back at her. "Yeah, you're right. Now go on home."

As Jo'an puts the ring on her finger, Clark decides that maybe it's not the best time to destroy the "do-over" ring.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

It's 6:15am. Clark looks down at his watch. Jo'an should be popping in right about….now.

"I understand now, Daddy!"

Clark smiles at his daughter as she runs up to him. She's just in time.

"Okay, don't get mad. I did exactly what you said. I watched "The Butterfly Effect" and I know what you meant when you said using the do-over ring is dangerous; but, I promise I won't touch stuff or let Mom see me or anything. I just wanna see you sometimes, okay?"

Clark frowns. He almost forgot about the fact that she's watched a rated R movie and has stopped calling Lois "Mommy."

Jo'an drops her shoulders a little and lets out a deflated, "What?"

He could argue about "Mercy" letting her watch an R rated movie; or…

"You used to call your mom Mommy when I last saw you. But you're getting older so fast. I'm missing a lot and it just makes me a little sad. That's all," he answers with a small smile.

To his surprise, Jo'an doesn't scoff or roll her eyes at him. She says, "Oh" and walks over to sit on the couch.

Clark sits down next to her. "So, let's set some ground rules for when you visit me, okay," he says brightly."

He can't help but to grin when his baby's eyes light up. "So, I can come and see you sometimes and you won't be mad?" Jo'an practically squeals and hops into his lap.

"Rule number one," Clark announces while losing his smile. It's serious face time. Jo'an loses her smile as well, mimicking her father's serious expression. Even though she really, _really_, hates rules as a general rule, she wants to show her daddy that she realizes how important_ these_ particular rules are. "You have to make sure no one sees you, especially Mommy…er Mom."

Jo'an nods her head. "Okay, rule number two?"

"You can't stay long, just a minute so that no one your side gets worried."

Jo'an frowns. She doesn't particularly like that rule, but she agrees to it a few seconds later.

"Number three. You can't come every day. Try once a week."-

"Once a week! But Daddy"-

"No buts Jo'an. Once a week is better than not seeing me at all." He didn't mean it the way it came out, but it was the truth and Jo'an realizes it because she doesn't argue back.

"Rule number 4?" Jo'an prompts as a way of changing the subject.

Clark shrugs. "That's it."

Jo'an smiles. Only three rules? She can deal with that.

She hops off her daddy's lap and pulls out the ring.

"Jo'an, wait! Where are you going?"

Jo'an furrows her eyebrows. "Rule number two, Daddy. I can't stay long. Only a minute…. It's been a minute," she adds on as if he hadn't caught on yet. Really, how's she supposed to follow the rules if _he _can't even remember them?

"So it has," Clark smiles and stands to his feet. "One more rule."

"Aw, no. not another one"-

"You can't leave until you've hugged Daddy goodbye," he grins and opens his arms invitingly.

Jo'an grins back before hugging her father. That rule's not so bad.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Friday, the 13th


	63. Chapter 63

**Madcloisfan: **Hope I answered your question with this chapter;)

**Mayacita: **Lol. You're pretty much right, but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway.

**whynot1993, ReadingRed, Silversnikl, and Firefaerie15: **Thank you!

**ClauClois: **Thanks and you're welcome

**IceQueen825: **Lol, Glad I could spare you the drama. And I know exactly what you mean about missing Lois and Jo'an together. I have to agree, they're entertaining. But don't worry. I've thought up a few Jo'an stories outside of this one. I'll type 'em up and post them after I finish this one;)

As for writing your own stories, go for it. Sure the negative reviews are a pain, but the positive ones are just as effective.

**Quathis: **Lol, yeah, if only Clark had Jo'an to guide him on the actual show;)

**CaptainTightPants12: **Lol, I haven't read your story in a while, so I can't _honestly _tell you that you haven't screwed her up; but I doubt you have. All you have to do is make her into a mini Lois and you're set;) Thanks for the review!

**Cathy03: **Lol. I won't, I promise;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Once Jo'an's gone Clark starts to whistle a tune to himself. He jogs upstairs, picks up the article he typed last night as well as the Taser he borrowed from Chloe, before he jogs back downstairs. He's still whistling when he opens his door. She hasn't knocked yet, but he knows she's there. And this time he's ready for Linda Lake.

"I know what you're planning," he says without preamble.

Linda smiles that creepy smile of hers. "Mr. Kent. I was just thinking about you. Two years is too long to go without a visit."

Clark doesn't have time to play games with her, so he cuts straight to the chase. "You're not gonna run my story."

"Oh. Your story? Oh, so now you're not just super, you're psychic." She never loses that smile. Not that he was expecting her to; he was just kinda hoping she would. Oh well.

He gives her a smile of his own as he holds up the article he wrote just the night before. "I'm a journalist now. I brought you my latest work. It's about all the murders you committed. People are gonna know who you really are, and your word will mean nothing. You're going to jail."

Linda _finally _loses the smile. "I don't think so," she says as she begins to turn into water; but Clark's ready for her. Yesterday Chloe told him that Linda's kryptonite is electricity. It keeps her solid. So, Clark pulls out Chloe's Taser and "keeps Linda solid" until the cops show up for her.

Clark nearly smiles when she's gone. He's talked to Jo'an. He's taken care of Linda. Now there's only one thing left to do.

A few seconds later he's knocking on the Talon apartment door. It's 7:00am. Lois is still asleep, no doubt, but he's come anyway. He knocks on the door about seven more times before she answers.

"What?" She's glaring at him through the crack 'cause she hasn't opened the door all the way. He's sure of it; but he can barely see her face as most of her hair is covering it.

He holds up a cup of coffee, knowing Lois will perk up when she sees it.

"Go away," she groans sleepily instead.

Clark frowns down at the cup of coffee. It failed him.

Oh well, time for plan B.

"I can't," he says as he pushes at the door and squeezes inside despite Lois's efforts to shut the door in his face.

Once he's in, Lois shuts the door, gives him a glare, and heads for her bed. She _is _going back to sleep. No matter what Smallville has to say.

Clark moves to stand in front of her, blocking her way. "Get dressed," he commands.

"I sleep, or I drop kick you," she answers without missing a beat.

"Sleep? But the sun's out," Clark grins. He can' help it. That was one of Jo'an's favorite lines.

Lois doesn't smile back. She says, "Move."

Clark crosses his arms over his chest; and the defiant act is enough to raise Lois's eyebrows. Since when does he stand up to her?

"Lois, you promised me."

Lois frowns. She didn't promise him a damn thing.

"You said you'd hang out with me until I found my wild cherry. Are you really gonna go back on your word. Is that really who Lois Lane is? A woman who can't keep her promises?"

Suddenly Lois is awake and she bristles at what Clark just said to her. She is too a woman of her word!

She marches past him and grabs some clothing out of the closet before heading to the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind herself.

She keeps _all_ of her promises. All of them, goddammit! Just who the hell does he think he is, questioning her like that? She'll show him. She's gonna spend so much damn time with him, he's gonna want orange sherbet instead of wild cherry.

Clark chuckles to himself as he listens to Lois change in the bathroom. She's muttering to herself. Apparently she's gonna show him just what kind of woman she is and she can't believe he had the nerve to question her integrity.

It seems he's off to a good start this time around. He wonders how much is going to change; what's going to happen that didn't happen yesterday.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Chloe didn't get much sleep the night before. Even if she hadn't spent the night on one of the most uncomfortable couches ever, she wouldn't have been able to sleep. There's too much on her mind; like Davis and the fact that he's not human; and Oliver, the man who killed Lex Luther; and Jimmy, her husband. He's being released today, which is why Chloe decided to stay the night over at ISIS. It wouldn't have made much sense to drive back to Smallville last night, only to come right back up here to Metropolis to pick Jimmy up.

She gets to the receptionist's desk quickly and lets the woman know she's here to pick up Jimmy Olsen.

She nods her head and starts typing away at her computer.

Just then, there's a tap on Chloe's shoulder. She turns around and there he is; not "he" as in her husband. Another he.

"O-Oliver," she stammers. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you for a minute," he answers; and he's not smiling.

"Well, I was just picking up Jimmy," Chloe turns a little to her left and spots her husband being wheeled through the double doors just a little ways off. "See, there he is."

Oliver rests a hand on Chloe's arm. To anyone looking at the two of them, it would seem as though he's comforting her. Really, he's using enough force to guide her to a quieter corner of the hospital.

"You know I killed Lex," he states so bluntly that Chloe's only response is a few blinks. "He deserved to die, Chloe."

Chloe suddenly finds her voice. "You certainly made sure he got what he deserved. They identified the remains as Lex's. And what does Clark think?"

"That Winslow turned on Lex. Pieces of a toy bomb were found in the wreckage," Oliver shrugs.

Chloe's mouth falls open and she shakes her head, not believing she heard him right. "Are you seriously gonna let another man take the blame for something you did?"

"Chloe, Winslow was already a killer. He blew up all those people at LuthorCorp. He was about ready to take down the entire daily planet. One more death's not gonna make a difference."

"Are you listening to yourself? Oliver, you've really crossed a line here!" she hisses.

He puts a finger to her lips and looks around to make sure no one heard. As soon as he sees Jimmy is staring back at them he drops his finger and lowers his voice.

"Lex is dead. The world is safer because of it. Clark is safe again," he rushes.

"Yeah, but this is _murder_, Oliver."

"This is justice. Although Clark may not be able to accept that, you know what I did was right. And please don't stand there and look so innocent."

Chloe raises her eyebrows. What did _she _do?

"You know, I did a little video viewing of my own. Seems a certain meteor freak named Sebastian Kane died at the hospital right after he got a visit from somebody who looked an awful lot like you," he continues.

Chloe takes a shaky breath. She'd nearly forgotten about that. Nearly. "That was Brainiac...not me," she says quietly, barely above a whisper.

Oliver scoffs at her. "Was it? Because it seemed like a pretty natural instinct to protect Clark. Now that Lex is gone... you can't tell me you're not relieved."

Chloe sighs. Every fiber of her conscience wants to say that's not true. But he's right. And he knows it because he finally smiles. It's a small smile, but it's still a smile.

"You can't tell Clark what I did. Lex just ripped the man's heart out, Chloe. He's gonna need his friends around him right now more than ever."

Chloe agrees, but she knows better. Clark's isn't pining for Lana. He's dead set on having Lois; but still, it may not be the best idea to tell him what Oliver's done.

Oliver leaves without saying goodbye and Chloe walks over to where Jimmy is. He's no longer in the wheelchair. He's at the counter getting his prescription.

"No more than three tablets a day. They can be highly addictive. Good luck."

_Highly addictive?_ Chloe reaches for the pills, just to see what they are, but Jimmy snatches them away before she could get them. His actions startle Chloe; but she doesn't take offense. Maybe Jimmy's ashamed.

"Hey. You're not in this alone, you know," she reassures him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

He steps away from her, letting her hand fall to her side. "I know how much you enjoy playing Florence nightingale, but I can take care of myself."

Chloe's hurt by his remark, but she knows she deserved it. She _did_ use her Taser gun on him when he went after Davis. Chloe takes a few steps toward him. "Jimmy, I know you're upset, but trust me, I just stopped you from doing something you would've regretted the rest of your life."

Jimmy takes a few steps back. "Davis came after me, and I was protecting myself. But you don't believe me. You'd rather believe anyone else but me."

She should have believed him. It looks as if he was right; and she's sorry about that. She truly is; but Jimmy needs to calm down. He's getting louder by the second and he's starting to draw attention to them.

"And what were you over there talking to Oliver about?" he points to the corner where Chloe and Oliver had just agreed not to tell Clark that he killed Lex. And it's not like that's a bit of information she can just tell Jimmy.

She shakes her head. "Nothing. It was nothing important."

"A billionaire comes by to see you in person for nothing?" Jimmy asks skeptically; still getting louder.

Chloe takes a few more steps toward him and lowers her voice. "People are watching us. Can we talk about this at home?" she tries.

"Home? We have no home, Chloe."

Chloe blinks. What's with him? He's not acting like himself. Not the sweet man she married. He must_ not_ be himself. "Okay, you still have a lot of drugs in your system, and" -

"No. No, no, no." Jimmy interrupts. My mind has never been so clear. I have put up with years of your taking someone else's side over mine; keeping secrets from me. First with Clark, then Davis, and now Oliver? Look, I realize now... that you just don't trust me. You never have."

"Of course I trust you, Jimmy. I trust you with my whole heart. I'm your wife." Chloe pleads while placing a hand on his arm. Her left hand, the one with her ring on it.

For the second time, Jimmy jerks his arms away from Chloe's touch. "And that's what I don't understand; why the hell did you even marry me?" He yells.

Suddenly there's a security guard just a few feet away from them; or maybe he was there all along and Chloe just hadn't noticed. "Sir, settle down," the guard warns.

Chloe makes a hand motion to the guard, signaling everything's okay, but he doesn't seem to be satisfied by it, so she uses words instead. "I'm fine! We were just leaving."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Jimmy says coldly.

_It's the drugs talking. It's the drugs talking. It's the drugs talking._ Chloe thinks to herself repeatedly before trying again.

"Come on, Jimmy. We can work through this."

It doesn't work. Jimmy gives her an icy glare before sending a verbal blow directly to her heart. "I am done trying to make this work. Marrying you... was the biggest mistake of my life."


	64. Chapter 64

**Cathy03: **Lol. That's okay, 'cause I don't like Jimmy with Chloe much anyway;)

**Madcloisfan: **I guess around the same time she did during canon.

**Silversnikle: **Maybe, maybe not;)

**Mayacita: **Thanks! I had to, since Davis is in the Phantom Zone and can't exactly kill Jimmy the way he did in the show.

**whynot1993: **Lol. Yeah, they do.

**Quathis, CaptainTightPants12, Ihaine07: **Thank you!

**Lilbit4: **Lol.

**Andre: **I don't mind, go right ahead.

**ReadingRed, and Firefaerie15: **

**ClauClois: **No apology necessary. Your English is just fine;) Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**IceQueen825: **Lol, Be prepared not to like this chapter

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Chloe opens her eyes slowly, the night before coming back to her in a lazy haze. The supposed party at the ace of club; it was for her birthday, but it was probably the worst she'd ever had. Lois came, but she couldn't stay long. She had to go home and pack because she had an early flight for Mexico the next morning. Of course Jimmy hadn't shown up. Apparently he still needs "space," even though Chloe believes two weeks away from each other is more than enough time for space.

She sighs loudly and is tempted to close her eyes. Another person who didn't make it to her party was Clark. He was with Bart Allen in Keystone city. He sent her a gift though. A good one; but she would have rather gotten it from him, and not the delivery boy, Oliver. Not that she has anything against Oliver personally. She's not upset with him anymore for what he did. In fact, he offered her the job as watchtower for the team and she accepted. It's just that she really would've liked her BFF to be there. Especially because soon after she accepted the job, Oliver had to leave as well. She was all alone on her birthday. No one should be alone on their birthday. It's sad that the best part of her birthday had been when a magician offered her a lit cupcake and told her to make a wish. The cupcake was delicious.

Chloe abruptly sits up and yawns loudly. It's not like she can stay in bed for the rest of her life, even if she really wants to. She's got a meeting with Oliver in…she checks the little radio clock by her nightstand. It's ten-thirty! How could she have slept in this late? She's got two and a half hours to be in Metropolis!

She doubts she'll make it, but she jumps out of bed all the same. On her way to the shower she swears she catches a quick glimpse of Lois. But, her cousin is supposed to be in Mexico. She backtracks a little…mirror. She's looking into her mirror; but that's impossible because Lois is staring back at her. She tilts her head to the right and Lois simultaneously tilts her head to her left. Chloe raises her right arm; and Lois simultaneously raises her left. Chloe squeaks and covers her mouth with both hands. Lois does the same, only she doesn't make a sound.

Chloe thinks back to when she and Lois were little girls. Just to annoy her, Lois would copy everything Chloe did and said until Chloe got so frustrated she would yell, "Stop copying me!" at the top of her lungs; and there's a small part of Chloe that wants to do just that. Yell at the Lois in the mirror to stop copying her; but instead she quickly searches for her phone and dials Lois. She should have landed in Mexico hours ago.

Lois answers, and to Chloe's relief, her cousin still sounds like herself.

"Lois?" Chloe questions before clamping a hand over her mouth. Shesounds_ just _like Lois.

"Yeah, Chloe?"

Chloe takes a deep breath and tries her best to disguise her voice. "Are you okay?"

There's a small pause on the other end before Lois answers and Chloe imagines her cousin has pulled back her cell to look at it questioningly. "I'm fine. Are you okay? You sound kind of weird."

Chloe ignores Lois's statement and continues. "How do you look?"

"What do you mean?"

Chloe rolls her eyes, she's running out of patience, but she does know that this isn't Lois's fault. "I mean, do you still look like you? Do you look like…uh, is your hair still brown?"

Chloe counts the seconds of silence on Lois's end. Seven of them in all before Lois finally answers. "Uh, yeah, Cuz. My hair's still brown."

Chloe breathes a sigh of relief. They haven't switched bodies. Lois is still Lois.

"Chloe, are _sure_ you're okay?"

Chloe jumps a little. She'd forgotten about the phone pressed to her ear. "I'm fine," she tells Lois. A goodbye is on the tip of her tongue but Lois makes her forget all about it when she says, "No you're not. Something's wrong and since you won't tell me, I'm coming home."

"What! Lois, that's not"-

"I'll be home by 4:00pm, we'll talk and whoever it is that did it to you is gonna get his ass kicked."

"But Lois I'm fine"-

"Oh, and I'm sending Clark over to watch after you until I get back. It's not that I don't trust you, Cuz, 'cause I do. I just don't trust you _right now_. Okay? Love ya."

"But"-

"Is my hair still brown." Lois mutters to herself and Chloe knows she's hanging up but she protests a little more anyway. It's no use. Lois is gone. She's coming home and Chloe looks just like her. What a mess.

Just then, there's a knock on her door. Chloe runs to the bathroom and locks the door behind her. It's Clark. She knows it. Lois _did _say she was sending him over. If only her cousin knew just how fast Clark could get to where he needed to go.

"Chloe?"

Clark's voice. She was right. Not that hiding in the bathroom will do her any good in the first place. Clark can knock the door down, blow it off its hinges, burn a hole through it, or simply see through it.

"_Chloe?"_

Chloe recognizes the subtle alarm in his voice. He's gonna start x-raying soon.

"I'm in the bathroom." Chloe calls back.

She imagines he breathes easier after hearing her voice; then she hears his heavy footsteps approaching. She holds her breath as they stop right in front of the door.

"Lois asked me to check on you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answers, trying her hardest to sound like herself and not Lois.

"Do you mind coming out for a second," he chuckles. "You know Lois, she'll bust my chops if I don't see you with my own eyes."

"I'm in the shower," Chloe calls back immediately.

"Chloe, the water's not running." His words are laced with suspicion.

Chloe swears to herself softly. She silently prays Clark didn't hear that as she tiptoes over to the shower and turns the water on.

"Chloe?" the handle moves a little. He's trying the door. There's a small part of her that's angry. She should be able to use the bathroom in peace; but the more rational part of her knows that Clark's just worried. Between Lois's call and the fact that she is indeed acting weird, should she really be surprised that Clark's treating this like an emergency? For all he knows someone's holding her hostage in here.

She sighs deeply before opening the door.

Clark gasps and his eyes go wide.

"Yeah, that's what I said too," Chloe mutters.

"How did this happen?"

Chloe's cheeks begin to go red even before she _herself_ realizes how embarrassing this is. She knows exactly how this happened. Last night, when the magician asked her to make a wish, she wished she could be Lois. Her cousin seems to have everything going for her, while Chloe's life is falling apart.

Clark stares back at Lois, Chloe, with a huge confused frown on his face. This is weird. He's used to weird things happening but t_his_ is really weird. Why the heck is she blushing like that? Even her ears are bright red. He just asked her how she became Lois. This _is _Smallville after all. It could have been a spell, or a special stone, or some kryptonite cereal for all he knows. Nothing to be _embarrassed _about.

There's a knock on the door, and Chloe dashes back inside of the bathroom. Clark sighs and waits for it to stop. Whoever it is will know that Chloe's not here and go away eventually. Then he and Chloe can figure out how to change her back to her old self. Of course, it would be helpful if he knew how she changed into her "new" self, first.

But the person at the door doesn't go away. Instead, Clark starts to hear a noise that sounds suspiciously like someone's trying to pick the lock. It's thanks to Chloe and Lois that he recognizes the sound. He walks over to the door and stands in front of it, waiting for whoever's on the other end to finish.

The door opens and Jimmy Olsen walks straight into Clark.

"Uh, s-sorry C.K." Jimmy stammers.

Clark stares back at him with a frown. He looks horrible; pale with dark circles under his eyes, and much thinner. Apparently he's not taking his break up with Chloe very well.

Jimmy's eyes dart around a few times, and assuming he's looking for Chloe, Clark tells him that Chloe's in the shower and that afterward she's going to be gone all day. He regrets pushing Jimmy toward the door; knowing just much Chloe misses him too, but right now, Chloe doesn't exactly look like Chloe. Jimmy will have to come back another time.

As soon as he shuts the door behind Jimmy, Chloe comes out of the bathroom and Clark swears to himself before grabbing a hold of her.

She's startled. "What are you doing?" she gasps while trying to pull herself free.

Clark didn't mean to scare her, but he doesn't release her either. "We have to go. Jo'an's at the farm." He swears to himself again. Rule number four should've been, 'If Daddy's not at the farm when you get there then you have to leave immediately.'

"Jo'an? Your future daughter?"

Clark doesn't answer Chloe; just speeds her away to the farm.

Jo'an's eyes go wide when her parents appear in front of her. "Daddy! She's not supposed to see me!" She nearly takes off, but Clark grabs her arm.

"This is Aunt Chloe. She woke up looking like Mommy this morning."

"Oh." Jo'an calms down immediately. She's seen weirder. She walks up to her auntie, who looks so much like her mom, and gives her a hug. "Hi Aunt Chloe."

Chloe hugs the child back. She's never met her before, but she looks so much like her best friend that she feels like she knows her. Just a little.

"So, how'd you turn into Mommy?" Jo'an asks when the hug is finished.

"You're calling her Mommy again?" Clark interrupts.

Jo'an faces her father to glare at his obnoxious grin.

He comes toward her and Jo'an can see that he wants to give her a hug but she crosses her arms over her chest.

He falters. What? What did he do?

He clears his throat a little. "I was just wondering how it went."

Jo'an narrows her eyes at him.

"I bet she was surprised," Clark tries; one more attempt to get her to tell him what he did wrong.

Finally she speaks. "No, she wasn't surprised Daddy. First she yelled at me! She said, "Don't even try it Junior, no matter what Uncle Oliver told you to try this time you're not getting a damn puppy!"

"Jo'an, language." Clark reprimands immediately. It's habit. He smiles a little though. Watching Jo'an imitate her mother has always been one of the most precious sights he's beheld as her father. The way she's perfected every hand gesture and all of Lois's trademark stances is just priceless

"Well, that's what she said," Jo'an continues without missing a beat. Even that is Lois-y. "And I told her that I _know_ 'cause I already asked her a gazillion times before; and when I called her mommy again she said, "Okay, so you know you're not getting a puppy so what the hell _do_ you want?"-

"Jo'an, language."

"But that's what she said, and when I told her I didn't want nothing she just started looking at me funny…for a long time. Then I tried to go get some water 'cause she wouldn't stop looking at me, and she pulled me back and said, "Okay Junior, what the hell's wrong with you?"-

"Language," Clark hisses while sending a glare Chloe's way. This is getting less and less funny to him, yet it's obvious Chloe's trying her hardest not to laugh. She shouldn't think this is funny at all.

Jo'an doesn't apologize, or pause with her story."Well, _she _said it first. She thought something was wrong with me and she wouldn't believe me when I kept telling her I was okay. _Then_, she started getting mad at _me _because I was keeping a secret and she _hates _secrets. So, she grabbed me even harder, and it didn't _hurt_, but I couldn't go anywhere, and she said, "Just tell me who did it and I'll kick their"-

"Jo'an!"

It was her Aunt Chloe that yelled her name this time so Jo'an turns to face her. "What?"

Chloe shakes her head. She knows exactly what Lois said, she just said practically the same thing to her over the phone, and she just knew without a shadow of a doubt that Clark would shit a brick if his baby girl had said ass.

"I was gonna say butt. I swear," Jo'an lies. She had every intention on repeating what her mother said verbatim, just so that her father could grasp the seriousness of the situation he put her in.

"Uh-huh," Chloe smirks disbelievingly. "So what happened next?"

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders. "I told her that I just feel like calling her Mommy again." She abruptly turns on her father. "And you know what happened _then_?"

He shakes his head. He doesn't have a clue.

"She _still _kept staring at me, and I thought it was because she thought I was lying, _and then_, she started hugging me and calling me her baby and now she keeps treating me like a baby and it's all your fault!"

Clark rushes to Jo'an and hugs her. "That's great, honey," he grins into her hair.

"Daddy! It's not great. Lemme go!"

Clark ignores her until Chloe clears her throat. "Um guys, _Mommy's_ coming home in about four hours and I think I should look more like _Aunt Chloe_ when she sees me. What do you think?"

Clark lets go of Jo'an immediately. Chloe's right. They have to focus on trying to find a way to change her back.

"So, how'd you turn into Mommy," Jo'an repeats her earlier question.

Chloe doesn't have time to be ashamed and embarrassed. She really, _really, _doesn't have the time so she answers immediately. "There was this magician woman at my birthday party last night. She told me to make a wish and I wished I could be Lois." She keeps her eyes on Jo'an the whole time. She doesn't want to see any confused, disapproving, and or sympathy looks appear on Clark's face.

"Oh, Aunt Z did this to you," Jo'an giggles.

"Wait, Aunt Z?" Clark frowns. He doesn't remember Jo'an ever mentioning an Aunt Z before.

"You know who did this?" Chloe grins.

"Yeah, you want me to call her?" Jo'an asks, but she's already on her way to the cordless.

Clark comes up behind her with a heavy sigh. He hates to be the bearer of bad news; but, "Jo'an I doubt Aunt Z has the same number here as she does at home."

Jo'an continues to dial the number. "Aunt Z always has the same number. It's got magic on it. Watch."

As soon as Jo'an finishes dialing, a dark-haired, blue-eyed, woman materializes in front of them.

"You rang?" she smiles. Jo'an rolls her eyes. She doesn't like the way her auntie is looking at her daddy.

"No, _I_ rang," she cuts in.

Aunt Z bends a little to talk to Jo'an as if she's a little toddler. "And what can I do for you little one?"

Jo'an scowls, but before she can say anything, her Aunt Chloe chimes in.

"You can explain what the hell"-

"Language."- Clark cuts in.

"You did to me and how I can change back." She finishes while ignoring Clark, who is currently covering Jo'an's ears. She doesn't even laugh at the way Jo'an's slapping at his hands, trying to get him to release her.

The magician cocks her head and considers Chloe for a moment. "Birthday girl," she smiles, correctly guessing who she _used_ to be.

Chloe raises her eyebrows and places her hands on her hip. "Well?"

"You know Oliver Queen." She states, not asks. "I've been trying to get a hold of him but he's…busy."

"I don't exactly have all day, so can you just tell us where this is going?" Chloe asks impatiently. She can see that the woman wants something and she wishes she would just spit it out already.

"I need him to obtain something for me, a book that belonged to my father. If you can get him to get it, I'll tell you how to reverse the spell," she finishes.

Chloe sighs. She doesn't have time for all of this!

"Maybe I could get it," Clark volunteers.

"That sounds like so much fun!" Jo'an practically squeals beside him.

"No, Jo'an, you can't go!" Clark scolds.

"I wasn't gonna go!" Jo'an snaps back. "I just said it sounds like fun. Jeez, I wish I wasn't such a little kid. Then maybe you and Mommy wouldn't treat me like a baby."

The magician smiles and Jo'an changes right before their eyes. She's older by at _least_ ten years.

"What'd you just do?" Clark yells at the woman.

She shrugs. "Looks to me like your little girl's wish to not be a little kid anymore just came true."

"Well, change her back!"

"Daddy!"

Clark turns to give his daughter his attention. It's so weird not to have to look down at her. She's as tall as he is.

"Daddy, look! I got boobies. They're so cool! Don't you think so!" she exclaims excitedly.

"No! Send them back! Change her back!" with wide eyes, Clark whirls around, searching for the magician.

She's gone. Why, oh why, are they always gone?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Saturday, the 21st


	65. Chapter 65

**Sinewyk: **You have no idea. Lol.

**Mayacita: **, Zatanna is just too much fun.

**Silversnikle: **Ha1 You're seriously smart to doubt Clark would his baby help;)

**Chronos the cookie thief: **Lol, I guess she still looks like Clark. Just older.

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Thank you! I'm so glad you had so much fun with this chapter. It was fun to write. Hope you enjoy this one as well.

**Anon: **Thank you! I think I would've just died if I was Clark.

**IceQueen825: **Hehe. You should try reading a strictly Clois fic then;) This fic is more or less written like Smallville episodes. I can't focus on just Clois or the reader won't get the _whole_ story.

**Quathis: ** Yeah, I think you're totally right. When Clark said "send them back," I laughed too.

**Cathy03: **Lol. Gotta keep ya on your toes;)

**Madcloisfan: **more than likely;)

**Ihaine07: **I totally agree. Jo'an does make things more fun. Thank you!

**CaptainTightPants12: **Lol. I hope I don't disappoint then!

**Madlenita: **Yeah, I thought I'd be a little different, even though I am following canon for the most part;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

It's more than obvious to Chloe that Clark isn't going to be able to help her. He's got his hands full with his new teenaged Jo'an. So, she pulls out her cell and dials Oliver. He answers almost immediately.

"I'm not going to be able to make it to that meeting," she says in a rush. She hasn't got the time for greetings and manners. She picks up Clark's truck keys and heads outside. He's not gonna need them, or notice their disappearance. His daughter just asked him if he thinks her boobies are cool.

"I have to give the "importance of attendance" speech to you already Sullivan?" Oliver fakes a groan. It slightly irritates her. She doesn't need the "importance of attendance speech." She's an excellent worker; always on time. Plus, her last name is Olsen; even if it won't be for long, but she chooses to ignore that little tidbit for now.

"You won't be able to make it to the meeting either," she announces instead.

"Oh?"

Chloe can hear the way his voice perks up, signaling a piqued interest. She hops into Clark's truck and takes off, heading toward the Talon. First, she wanted to go straight to Metropolis; even if there's nothing she could do there, it's a big city. It'd be much easier to hide from Lois there than in her their talon apartment. But, she's just realized that she's still in her pajamas. There's no way she's going to Metropolis in her pajamas.

On her way home, she fills Oliver in on the magician, or _Zatanna _as Jo'an called her, and her request. Oliver accepts the case immediately, especially after hearing why it's so important for him to do so. But not before having a good laugh because of Chloe's predicament. Chloe wants so badly to tell him that it's not funny, but she has to admit that maybe this would be funny if it happened to someone else. So she just hangs up instead.

When she finally gets home, she just walks in. No keys necessary. She's not surprised or worried about the door being unlocked. Clark _did_ kind of grab her and zip her off to the farm in a hurry. But then she hears a sound; one that immediately lets her know someone else is in her home. There's a lot of paper shuffling and drawers being opened and shut.

Now, the smartest thing to do would be to call Clark, or maybe even the police. More than likely the person inside is a burglar and could be armed and dangerous; but she silently creeps inside anyway, and what she sees makes her wish she'd left when she had the chance. Don't get her wrong, she's been wanting to see Jimmy for two weeks; but not like this. He's stuffing valuables into his pockets. He's…he's _stealing _from her.

He pauses suddenly, as if he can feel her eyes on him, and turns around slowly to face her.

"L-Lois." He stammers. His eyes have gone wide, and he swallows a few times. He's afraid.

That's right Chloe remembers. She looks like Lois. She can't help but to wonder what he would do if she was herself.

"I was just leaving," he says before starting toward her; no, not her, toward the door that's _behind _her.

Chloe nods her head. What else can she do? What else can she say? She knows what she wants to say. She wants to ask him if he's okay. It may seem like a stupid question. He's separated from his wife. Surely he still loves, and misses, her. But Chloe can see that it's more than that. She can tell by his eyes. The bags under them; the way they roam around almost as if he's…feening. That's it. It's the drugs. He's addicted to them and he needs a fix. Chloe no longer takes offense to him stealing from her. He can't help it. He needs help.

He tries to walk past her, but her hand shoots out, grabbing his arm. "Jimmy," she starts; but he shrugs his arm out of her grip.

"She owes me!" he snaps.

That hurt. That hurt Chloe a lot; but not as much as what happens next. He grabs her hand; the hand she just grabbed _him _with; her left hand; the one with her wedding ring on it.

"How'd you get Chloe's ring," he growls.

Chloe snatches her hand back. "She let me borrow it for a story I'm working on," she invents on the spot.

His eyes narrow. Naturally he doesn't believe her. If she was him, she wouldn't believe her either.

Suddenly Jimmy grabs at her hand. "Give it to me! I want it back," he shouts.

Chloe pulls her hand back, moving it behind her back. There's no way she's giving her ring to him; not when he's like this. Not to be deterred, Jimmy reaches behind her, attempting to take the ring by force. For the first time today, Chloe's actually happy to be Lois. Lois is much taller, and stronger, than Jimmy. She holds him back with a lot less effort she would've had to use if she was herself. But even that doesn't seem like enough, not for _this_ Jimmy. He's a lot more aggressive than normal and eventually he succeeds in grabbing her hand.

Chloe starts to panic when he begins to twist the ring off of her finger. "No, let go!" she yells, making as tight of a fist as she can and trying to tug her hand out of his.

Their struggle seems to go on for hours, before Chloe hears a man's voice yell her name in alarm; but she doesn't stop trying to keep Jimmy from snatching her wedding ring off of her finger.

"Chloe!"

It's that voice again; louder and closer. She doesn't even realize the voice doesn't belong to Clark, the only other guy who visits her at home, until she sees _him_. Oliver. What's he doing here?

Jimmy straightens up and blatantly glares at Oliver. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a meeting with Chloe. Lois, what's going on here?" Oliver asks smoothly.

"Nothing," Chloe shakes her head.

"I just want the ring back," Jimmy says evenly. "Chloe doesn't need it anymore." He makes sure to scowl at Oliver as he says the last bit.

Chloe opens her mouth to tell Jimmy that he's wrong, that she does need the ring still; but Oliver interrupts.

"That sounds reasonable, Lois. Give Jimmy the ring. I'll buy you a new one," he winks.

Chloe visibly flinches. How the hell does that sound _reasonable_?

Oliver holds out his hand for the ring. Chloe steps back.

Oliver shows Chloe his hands; then puts them behind his back before taking a step toward her.

She doesn't move this time, so he keeps coming until he's standing right in front of her; right in her personal space. He leans in and whispers, "just give him the ring, we'll get it back after he pawns it."

Chloe's eyes widen. Pawns it? But one glance at Jimmy and she realizes Oliver is right. Jimmy's going to sell her wedding ring for drugs. Slowly, she twists it off her finger and places it into Oliver's hand. She's convinced herself that she has no choice but to give Jimmy the ring; just for now; just to buy time. Who knows what he's willing to do for money right now? And it's not like she can help him as Lois.

As Oliver walks over to Jimmy and hands him the ring, Chloe busies herself with cleaning up the mess Jimmy made. It's a big one.

"He's gone, Lois."

Chloe turns around and glares at Oliver. She's not Lois.

"How'd you get here so fast?" She changes the subject.

"I was already here," he shrugs. She raises her eyebrows at him and he explains further. "I figured you would have a major hangover after you spent your birthday alone, at least I know _I _would; so I was bringing you breakfast and aspirin."

Chloe narrows her eyes and glares at Oliver's empty hands. "I don't see any breakfast."

"That's because I dropped it outside when I heard you yelling for help."

"I didn't yell for help."

""Stop!" and "Let go!" are close enough to "help me!" in my book."

Chloe supposes he's right in a way; but rather than admit it, she changes subjects.

"Shouldn't you be going? You've got a book to steal from Lex's private collections."

"Right," Oliver snaps his finger mockingly, he hasn't forgotten about the book. He can't, not when he's looking at Lois but talking to Chloe. "Off to Metropolis I go."

"Metropolis! But the Luthor Mansion's here, in Smallville!" Chloe exclaims.

"Yes, but the Tess Mercer is in Metropolis, and I need her fingerprints." Oliver explains with a patient grin; which Chloe does _not _have time for.

"But it takes three hours to get to Metropolis and Lois will be home in about four!"

Oliver's grin widens. "Don't worry, Lois. I came in my jet. It took me thirty minutes to get here and it's gonna take me thirty minutes to get back. I'll be back before you know it; just stay here," he commands while walking toward the door.

Chloe scowls at his retreating back. One; she's _not _Lois; and two; she knows not to go anywhere. Lois is supposed to be in Mexico. It'll be very bad if someone saw her here in Smallville.

Oliver's gone for approximately eleven seconds before he's back. "Uh, Lois, you should really lock the door," he smirks.

That does it. Chloe rushes at him and physically pushes him out the door before locking it. She's _not _Lois!

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

"Bye Daddy." Jo'an practically sings as she hugs her father.

Clark holds on to her tightly. "Where do you think you're going?"

"It's been more than a minute. I'm supposed to go home, remember?" Jo'an sighs. Her daddy _really_ sucks at remembering his own rules.

Clark shakes his head. "You can't go home looking like _this_. I have to figure out a way to change you back first."

"I know what to do to change back," Jo'an admits proudly, the childish satisfaction clashing horribly with her adult body. "I have to _want _to change back."

"That's it? Well hurry up and make yourself want to change back."

"_Daddy_, I can't just _say_ it. I have to want it in here," she finishes while pointing to her chest. Clark guesses she means her heart.

"Well don't you want to? You have to get back to Mommy or she'll start to worry; maybe even cry. Don't you care about that?" Clark rebuttals quickly, remembering how much Jo'an hates to see her mother upset.

Jo'an shrugs her shoulders. "Nah, Mommy probably doesn't even know I'm gone. She's on assignment in Gotham City. I get to stay at Mercy's. She leaves me alone for _hours_. _She _doesn't treat me like a little kid," Jo'an pouts while folding her arms over her chest. Again, her childish actions look ridiculous on her now grown up body.

Clark sighs exasperatedly. "Why can't Mommy leave you with a better babysitter, like Aunt Chloe, or Uncle Oliver, or Uncle Victor, or even your Bobo?"

Jo'an rolls her eyes. Mercy _is _a good babysitter, but instead of telling her father that she chooses to answer his question instead. "'Cause they're all busy with a huge emergency."

"What huge emergency?"

Jo'an opens her mouth, nearly telling her father about the emergency; then she abruptly changes her mind. "Maybe you shouldn't know, 'cause of the butterfly effect and all."

Clark scowls back at her; and his frown deepens when she grins. Surprisingly, she's not grinning because she's right. Like him, Jo'an just saw a flash of red, and that can only mean one thing. Bart Allen is in his house, probably on his way to the kitchen. Clark really wishes he would knock first.

And Clark was right about Bart. He was on his way to the kitchen. There was bound to be some Martha Kent pie in there with his name on it; but he backtracks, at _normal_ speed, 'cause he thought he caught a glimpse of something truly divine.

He gives a low whistle once he's standing in front of Jo'an. "Well hellloooo nurse," he mutters.

Jo'an giggles and as a reflex Clark steps in front of Jo'an.

Bart sighs and his shoulders droop. "Come on Clark. You don't have to be overprotective. I promise I won't do anything to hurt your baby sis."

"She's not my sister," Clark pushes out through clenched teeth.

"No?"

"No, she's my"-

"He's my uncle," Jo'an chimes in. "Right Uncle Clark?" Clark shakes his head. He's not her damn uncle.

Boldly, Jo'an steps in front of Clark and addresses Bart. "Hi, I'm Jo'an."

Clark steps back in front of Jo'an when Bart takes his daughter's hand in his own and kisses it. The young man is so lucky Clark's phone chooses that exact second to ring, because Clark was so close to snatching Bart's lips off his face. Before, he had no problem with the whole Bojo Jobo thing. It was a one-sided, cute, little crush. _This,_ however, is _not _a one-sided crush. This is a young adult male, being attracted to his nine year old baby who is temporarily stuck in an adult body.

But Clark _has _to answer the phone. It's Lois. He gives Bart a slight push in the opposite direction of Jo'an and mouths "don't move" before walking a little ways off to answer his phone.

"How's Chloe?" Lois questions without preamble.

Clark shakes his head. "Hello to you too, Lois."

On the other end, he imagines she's just rolled her eyes.

"Well?" she answers after a few seconds.

"She's fine."

"Where is she?"

"I'm here with her." Clark lies without even thinking about it. After all, Lois _did _send Clark over to babysit Chloe; and Lois would be pissed if she found out that Clark hasn't been keeping her baby cousin within human hearing distance this whole time. But it's not like he can tell her that he's busy babysitting their daughter.

"Let me speak to her. I've been calling her cell but it's been sending me straight to voicemail."

_Uh-oh_

"Uh Lois, she's on the potty."

_The potty?_

"Smallville, put Chloe on the phone…now." She says in a dangerous monotone.

_Crap!_

"Okay, hold on," Clark tells Lois. He's not going to argue with her when she sounds like that. He puts his hand over the mouth piece and commands Jo'an and Bart to stay in the exact same spot they're standing in until he gets back. Then he disappears.

As soon as he gets to the Talon, he sees Lois. He nearly has a heart attack but then he remembers Lois is Chloe. No, Chloe is Lois…or however it goes.

"Jo'an says that in order to change back, you have to _want _to change back," Clark announces, startling the crap out of Chloe.

She jumps. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, but did you hear what I said?"

Chloe turns back around to finish doing whatever it was that she was doing before he barged in. It takes Clark just a few seconds to realize she was cleaning.

"Yeah, I heard you," she mutters.

Clark takes a step toward her. "So?" he prompts.

She whirls around, fixing him with an angry glare. "All I have to do is want to be myself? Don't you think I _want_ to be myself again? You think I like being Lois? I"-

"Okay," Clark interrupts with his hands held up high in surrender. "I'm gonna leave you here to work on that. Gotta go...gotta check on Jo'an," he concludes before realizing that it's the truth. What was he thinking? Sure, he's been gone for less than a minute; but that's way too long to leave his baby with Bart.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post is Wednesday, the 25th


	66. Chapter 66

**Anon: **It would be better for her if she does. Lol.

**Silversnikle: **Lol. He hung up on her actually.

**Ihaine07: **Haha, here's to hoping Clark can handle everything on his plate!

**Quathis: **Ah, Daddy mode. It's Clark's best in my opinion;)

**Mickeiblue: **Yeah, I can't believe he left them either, but I don't think he felt like he had a choice. Anyway, it was pretty funny to me.

**CaptainTightPants12: **Couldn't agree with you more. BoJo is one of my favorite pairings, though they're not technically gonna ever be a couple. They still tickle me.

**Madlenita: **You're welcome.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark's home within seconds. He stops in the dining room, right where he left his daughter and that godforsaken Bart. They're not there. He told them not to move!

"Jo'an!" he yells.

No answer.

"Jo'an!" he calls again; much louder this time.

"We're in here, Uncle Clark!" Jo'an shouts back from upstairs.

Clark scowls. He hates being called "Uncle Clark" by his baby.

Once upstairs, he finds Bart and Jo'an in his bed together. They're only sitting there and watching TV; in fact, they're not even touching each other; but still, they're sitting a little too close for Clark's taste. And why do they need to be upstairs to watch TV anyway?

"There's a TV that works just as well downstairs." Clark states, folding his arms over his chest the way all fathers do when they're doing a bit of intimidating.

"Yeah, but this one is a flat screen," Jo'an says without looking her father's way. Then both she and Bart laugh at whatever's on the screen.

Clark glances at the TV and nearly rolls his eyes. They're watching cartoons, an episode involving Speedy Gonzales, for goodness sakes! Mentally, they just might be the same age. Clark shakes his head at the thought. They're nowhere near the damn age. Bart's almost a man. Jo'an's his baby girl.

"Go watch the TV downstairs. If you're quick enough, you won't miss much." Clark commands.

"If we're quick enough?" Bart scoffs; he's _actually_ offended.

"Miss _much_? We won't miss _anything,_" Jo'an adds before racing Bart downstairs.

Clark follows the two downstairs, truly alarmed. They used their speed, the both of them. Obviously, Jo'an's had enough time to tell Bart about her powers while he was away.

He pulls Jo'an to the side, not that she goes willingly; she doesn't want to miss any of the show.

"You told Bart!" Clark accuses through hushed whispers. "You shouldn't tell anybody about yourself. It's not a rule here, but I know it's a rule at home. You should've known better! "

"But I didn't tell Bobo, Daddy; he guessed right," Jo'an whines. She's okay with people being mad at her. It happens all the time; but she doesn't want her daddy mad at her. If he gets too mad, he might not let her come back to see him sometimes.

"Yeah, Clark. I'm not an idiot." Clark turns his head a little, noticing for the first time that Bart is no longer watching his cartoons. He's standing right behind him. "I figured since your niece looks so much like you, she's got to be blood related, and since you're not from around here…hey, how _did_ your niece get here? I thought you were an only child. I thought your planet expl"-

Clark's phone rings, cutting Bart off. It's just as well too because Clark doesn't have an answer to give Bart.

He pulls his cell out and sighs when he reads the caller ID. It's Lois. He forgot to give the phone to Chloe when he was over there. He probably even hung up on her. He's in so much trouble.

"Hello, Lois," he answers on the fourth ring.

"Don't you dare "hello Lois" me, Smallville! I've been waiting here"-

Clark pulls the phone away from his ears and covers his phone, just until Lois stops yelling at a decibel that would make any human's ears bleed. He knows what she wants. She wants to talk to Chloe. He's gonna have to leave his baby here again. Just for a minute.

Jo'an giggles and Clark turns around with a scowl on his face. He's assumed that she's laughing at him because of all the yelling her mother's doing but that's not the case. She's standing very close to Bart, and he's whispering something in her ear. Clark's scowl turns into a full out murderous glare.

He takes a few steps, putting himself directly in between Bart and Jo'an. Jo'an's mouth falls open. She's ready to protest, but Clark puts a finger to his lips then points at the phone. She closes her mouth immediately, but not without exhaling loudly through her nostrils and crossing her arms over her now full chest. He's _got _to do something about that.

"Smallville!"

Clark winces a little before putting the phone back up to his ear. "Yeah Lois, I'm still here," he says while grabbing Jo'an's arm and putting a few feet between them and Bart. He then walks back over to Bart and pulls him even further away from Jo'an.

"Well?" Lois questions.

Clark uses both his index and middle finger to point at first his eyes then at Bart. "I'm watching you," he mouths before answering Lois. "Chloe's fine, Lois."

"I want to speak to her."

"Okay," Clark answers. He already knew that was coming, so he's already fixing the pair with a warning look, especially Bart who has taken to staring at his baby's new chest. He covers the phone up so Lois won't hear him, moves Bart back even further from Jo'an, and tells the two not to move from the very spot he's placed them in until he gets back.

"What if I get thirsty?" Jo'an asks.

"Swallow," Clark says so forcefully Jo'an doesn't dare argue back.

"What if I have to pee?" Bart tries.

"I'll give you a change of pants when I get back," Clark responds immediately, letting the pair know that he there's no reason he deems justifiable for them to disobey his order. "Understood?" he asks Bart. Bart nods his head. He turns on Jo'an. "Understood?" he asks her. She nods her head as well. "Good." And with a quick kiss to Jo'an's forehead he runs off.

Just as he reaches the Talon apartment, Lois calls out a "hello," rushing him to give the phone to her cousin. Clark enters, spots Chloe immediately and hands her the phone silently. She shakes her head, when he mouths the name Lois. She doesn't want to talk. Clark keeps holding the phone out to her, trying to get her to take it.

Chloe finally takes the phone when she hears Lois yell, "Smallville!" on the other end.

"Hey Lois," she answers, trying her best to disguise her voice.

Clark tries to speed Chloe's conversation up. The whole time she's talking to Lois he makes this rapid "speed it up" motion with his hand. He knows she's going as fast as she can considering she doesn't really want to speak to Lois in the first place, but he can't help it. If she understood how important it is for him to get back home as soon as possible, that his baby is there with Bart, she'd understand why he's so frantic.

Just as he's tempted to leave his phone here with Chloe, she's telling her cousin goodbye and handing him his phone back. He doesn't say anything to her as he leaves just as abruptly as he appeared.

When he gets home, he's more than irritated. They moved again. They haven't gone upstairs again; they're sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons again; but he specifically told them not to move!

He moves to stand in front of the TV, eliciting a few "oh-come-on"s and "you're-making-me-miss-the-best-part"s. Like he cares.

"I told you to not to move, not even if you had to pee. What made you think you could move to watch TV?" He growls.

"I had my fingers crossed behind my back," Bart answers bravely.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

It's a whole three hours before Oliver comes back, so it's no surprise that Chloe practically pounces on him as soon as she lets him in. "What took you so long? Lois is gonna be here in an hour!"

He smiles as he raises his eyebrows at her, like he's completely amused. Chloe realizes that more than likely he _is_ amused and she can't blame him. Three hours is actually pretty quick to complete the task he was given. But still, she can't help the way she's feeling. Yeah, Clark stopped by and told her that all she has to do in order to change back is to _want _to change back. Well, she wants to change back, but still nothing's happened. Maybe there's a shortcut Zatanna's book. She's gonna need it because Lois will be home soon.

Oliver shuts the door behind himself and begins to explain to Chloe why he took so long. It took thirty minutes to get to Metropolis, a few minutes to get her fingerprints, which he acquired by offering her a bottle of wine knowing she'd give it back, thirty more minutes to get back to Smallville, a bit of time to actually break in, use Tess's fingerprint to get into the vault, and after all that, he got a bit held up because Tess came home early. "She's got a jet too, Lois," he concludes with a wink.

"I'm Chloe," Chloe grinds out between clenched teeth.

"You look like Lois," Oliver shrugs and before Chloe can protest even more, he pulls out Zatanna's book.

Chloe swallows back what was going to be a "Well, I'm Chloe," and takes the book from Oliver's outstretched hand.

"How'd you escape anyway?" she asks more to change the subject than anything as she opens up the book.

"It was a miracle really. I mean, I even had to get naked at some point," Oliver grins at her; but she doesn't see the grin. She's focused on the book, and she's quite annoyed suddenly. She doesn't even know why.

"Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe snaps the book shut and glares at Oliver. "I'm not Lois! My name is…You called me Chloe," she realizes. Her eyes widen and she feels a little hope surge through her as she rushes to the closet mirror she can find. She grins when she sees her reflection. She's herself again. She doesn't know why she turned _now _as she's been wanting to turn back for hours now; but she could care less. She's just happy to be herself again.

"Now all we have to do is give Zatanna her book back," Chloe says brightly as she practically skips over to Oliver. Sure, she doesn't exactly have to. Her deal with Zatanna was that the magician would tell her how to change if she, Chloe, could get Oliver to acquired the book, but since Chloe's already changed she doesn't exactly need Zatanna's help anymore. Still, a deal's a deal.

"Yeah, about that," Oliver frowns. I don't think giving Zatanna her father's book is such a good idea. This isn't just a how-to guide on upping your stage presence. There's some really dark stuff in here, Chloe."

Chloe's about to ask what kind of dark stuff is in the book when Zatanna materializes in front of them. "Bravo. You found my book," she applauds slowly. "Now hand it over," she demands while holding her hand out.

Oliver shakes his head. "I'm sorry. I can't. I know what you're planning on doing. You can't bring your father back."

Zatanna narrows her eyes at him. She didn't ask his permission. She mutters an incantation and straight away Chloe's sheets fly from her bed and tie themselves around Chloe and Oliver tightly. So tightly, they can't move. They can just look at each other and wiggle their fingers. Then they fall, Chloe landing on top of Oliver. Apparently they couldn't keep their balance either.

"Ow!" Chloe cries. She would've said another word but Clark's constant "Language!" he hissed when he was trying to get Jo'an to stop using bad words stops her.

Oliver just grunts and grimaces a little before addressing Zatanna, trying to get her to see reasoning. "You don't want to do this. You can't just bring someone back and change fate!" he tells her, but she doesn't seem to hear him as she bends down and picks up her father's book.

It's not until she's in Chloe's doorway that she turns back to looks at the couple squirming on the ground.

"You don't get it. The sick irony of my ability is that I can grant so many wishes; everyone's but mine." She shakes her head, more convinced than ever that she's doing the right thing. "I'm sorry. I've waited too long for this," are her departing words.

Once she's gone, Chloe and Oliver waste no time. They both yell for Clark at the same time.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Sunday, the 29th


	67. Chapter 67

**Madcloisfan, ClauClois, whynot1993: **Thanks!

**Chronos the cookie thief: **Lol, You know, he just might!;)

**LoisLaneRocks**: Yeah, RL can most definitely get in the way sometimes. No worries, I understand all too well;) Thank you!

**Quathis: ** Lol. I have no idea if a Kryptonian can get a stress ulcer. And if they couldn't, I'm sure Clark would be the one exception to the rule;)

**Madlenita: **maybe just a little;)

**Lilbit4: **no prob;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

For three hours, Clark has been trying to find a way to change his daughter back _and _get rid of Bart without having to physically pick him up and dump him outside. It seems that's the _only _way he'll be able to get Bart to leave _willingly. _And even that isn't guaranteed to work. He's tempted to just tell the young man the truth. Surely if Bart knew that Jo'an was his baby girl and not his niece, he'd back off. Wouldn't he? But Clark's also wary of messing up the future...again. So, he makes a decision, an important one. This will be the last time he sees Jo'an. When he finally manages to get her back to normal, he's going to destroy the ring. It's not safe for her here. Besides, it's not like he'll never see her again.

He takes a deep breath. He's got to go. Oliver and Chloe need his help with Zatanna. She's trying to bring her father back to life. Clark has a feeling this run will take more than just a quick few seconds. He has to leave Jo'an here…with Bart…yet again, but most definitely for the _last_ time. Oh, he'd take her with him if he could, but he can't chance it. It could be dangerous for her. He's sure that with Bart here, at the farm, to keep Jo'an company, she won't try and run out to help.

"Okay, I'm leaving you two here for a few minutes." Clark starts off. He doesn't miss the looks Bart and Jo'an exchange with each other. They're happy to get a few minutes, rather than seconds, alone with each other. Then he catches Bart sneaking a peak at Jo'an's…boobies.

That's it!

He runs upstairs and is back before either of them finishes blinking. Then he hands Jo'an the sweater he just retrieved.

Jo'an wrinkles her no longer button of a nose. "Is this Grandma's sweater?"

"Wear it!" Clark barks.

Her eyes widen. "Okay, okay," she concedes.

As Jo'an's putting on the sweater, Clark pulls Bart off to the side.

Before Clark can say anything, Bart starts talking. "I know, I know Clark. This is just our first date. There will be a little handholding, movie watching, and maybe even a little goodnight kiss. Don't worry so much. I'm a perfect gentleman."

Clark scowls back at Bart. Goodnight kiss? He wants to kiss his baby?

Clark checks his watch. He's should've left a few minutes ago, but he can't. Not until Bart understands just how serious he is about this. He places a firm hand on the younger man's shoulder and leans in close. "Look Bart, Jo'an is more than a niece. She's like…she's like my own daughter," Clark explains.

Bart shakes his head, clearly confused. "But, you're only like three years older than her. How could she"-

"Like my daughter, Bart," Clark grinds out while squeezing Bart's shoulder. "Like my flesh and blood."

"Ow. Ow, Okay, I get it. Flesh and blood," Bart agrees, just to get Clark to loosen his grip. It works a little.

"You can hold her hand. That's it," Clark tells him.

"But what about my goodnight kiss?" Bart frowns.

Clark has to make a conscious effort not to tighten his grip on Bart's shoulder. And after a quick mental debate he decides promising Bart a goodnight kiss might not be so bad. Maybe it'll serve as a sort of incentive to keep the young man's hands to himself if he knows he'll get a reward at the end.

"When I get back," Clark relents.

"A supervised kiss!" Bart balks at the idea.

Clark can't help it. His grip tightens on Bart's shoulder.

"Ow! There's nothing wrong with a supervised kiss," Bart agrees fairly quickly.

"There's a good man," Clark pats his shoulder condescendingly. Bart's only answer is a scowl. Clark could care less. "Behave yourself, young lady," he tells Jo'an before kissing her goodbye. Her only answer is a scowl as well. She's still not too happy about wearing her grandmother's sweater.

It's very easy to find Zatanna. There's an unnatural strip of light on the rooftop of the Daily Planet. She most want to be found. Either that, or she's awfully desperate. And going off of how Oliver and Chloe described the situation, Clark's pretty sure it's the latter.

He gets to the roof just in time to see the muddled, but undeniable, outline of a man's figure within the bright light. . She's probably almost done with this ritual. He needs to act fast.

"Daddy?" he hears Zatanna's joyful cry.

Clark quickly spots Zatanna and rushes to her side. "You need to stop this spell!" he yells, startling her. She nearly drops her book.

"Don't move. I need to bring my father back," she panics, knowing Clark is there to get in her way; knowing that he's there to deny her the one thing she wants the most in the whole world.

"At what cost? Are you willing to sacrifice your life for him?" Clark tries again, inching toward her as subtly as he can.

"It's what he did for me. He wasn't meant to die. I owe him this. I know the rules. A life for a life. I have to make it right. I'm not afraid." She claims, and by the look in her eyes, he can see that she's not; that she has no problem taking her father's place.

That's not the way it should be. He would never allow Jo'an to die or him. No good father would.

"Do you really think your father would want you to give up the life he gave you to bring him back?" he scoffs at her, nearly getting angry, imagining she was his Jo'an. He'd be absolutely devastated if he was John Zatara and she was Jo'an.

"What would you know about losing the one man who made you who you are?" she shouts back at him a bit defensively.

"Everything." Clark doesn't hesitate with his answer. "The day that I lost my father, I thought my world would never be the same. It felt like something had been ripped away from me forever. But I had to let him go." It helps that he can tell her the truth; that he can draw on his own experience. There's a dawning of understanding that passes across her face as she realizes that he too lost the one man who made him who he is. "I'm finally the man that my father wanted me to be. What does your father want you to be?" Clark pushes.

Zatanna doesn't answer him. She watches her father's figure as it becomes more defined, until she can almost see his face. "I'm sorry." She whispers to him before muttering the incantation that will seal the portal.

Clark exhales loudly. For a second, he thought she was apologizing to _him, _telling him that she's sorry but she's going ahead with her plans to bring her father back.

"Are you okay?" Clark asks her. He has his hand on her shoulder, prepared to comfort her in case she needs it. She did just lose her father…again.

She nods her head. She's fine. A little shaky and sad, but she's also a little relieved; and she feels guilty for that. "I'm sorry," she apologizes to Clark, remembering the things she did to get her book. She has a feeling his little girl is still a "big girl." The kid probably won't ever want to change back. And then there's his friend, the blonde she turned into the brunette, though she was back to normal when Zatanna last saw her…which reminds her, she kind of tied her and Oliver together and left them there. She should go fix that.

Clark doesn't exactly feel right about letting Zatanna go when she tries to walk away, so he steps in front of her. He doesn't know what's on her mind or what she's planning on doing. Zatanna gets it right away and explains to him that she's got a couple to untie. She doesn't quite look at him. She knows the couple is his friends, and she starts to feel even worse.

"I already untied them." Clark smiles.

Zatanna smiles back, relieved that he isn't pissed. "Well, I should at least go and apologize."

Clark nods his head. That sounds like a good idea.

Zatanna turns to leave, but at the last second she turns back toward Clark. "Hey, how's your kid doing? Did you get her back to normal?"

Clark's eyes widen. "Jo'an!" he hisses before taking off.

He's coming in through the front door when he hears Jo'an exclaim, "Oh my gosh, It's so long. Can I touch it?"

Clark heads straight for Bart, grabs him by the collar of his t-shirt, and pins so high onto the wall that his feet don't touch the ground. Bart hits his head and starts seeing four Clark's.

"Daddy stop it!" Jo'an hops up and tries to get Clark to let go of Bart. "I was just looking at that long scratch on his arm. I bet he wasn't gonna even let me touch it. Were you Bobo?" If Bart could, he would shake his head no.

Clark looks down at Bart's arm. Oh, he remembers that scratch. It _is_ a pretty long one. He got it just yesterday, while they were working a job in Keystone. He lets go of Bart and the young man falls flat on his butt before springing back up like a jack-in-the-box.

Jo'an's right by his side, ready to check for bruises, but Bart holds his hand up stopping her. He's a little nervous about getting close to Jo'an right now. He's starting to understand some things.

"Daddy? Flesh and blood?" he practically gasps.

Jo'an looks to Clark, a worried expression on her face.

"She's my future daughter," Clark admits. "You can't tell anyone. It's important, Bart."

"I won't tell," Bart says while circling Jo'an. "Man, who knew a girl Clark would be so hot!"

Clark's eyes widen.

"Hey, did you call me Bobo?" Bart asks her, ignoring Clark completely.

"I always call you that," she giggles.

Bart smiles. "Cool."

"Time to go Bart," Clark interrupts while grabbing Clark by the arm and marching him toward the front door.

"But what about my goodbye kiss?" he exclaims.

"She's my baby!" Clark retorts.

"She's not a baby now; and you promised," Bart pouts back childishly.

"I had my fingers crossed," Clark answers quickly. He can be childish too.

"But"-

"Bye, Bart," Clark says as he slams the door shut in Bart's face. He locks it even quicker and turns around, expecting to see his daughter with a huge pout on her face. Instead, Bart's back in the house, and he's just kissed his baby…on the lips!

"You forgot about the back door, Kent." Bart grins before disappearing.

It takes all of Clark's willpower _not _to chase after him. He'd never catch him anyway. So he focuses all of his energy on calming down before telling Jo'an that she really needs to change back because it's time for her to go home.

Jo'an scoffs at him. "Are you kidding me, Daddy? Bobo just _kissed_ me. I'm never turning young ever again."

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **next post will be Thursday, the 3rd


	68. Chapter 68

**Socks900, Lilbit4: **Thanks!

**Jessy63, ReadingRed: **My thoughts exactly

**LoisLaneRocks**: Lol. Bobo and Jo'an are too much for _anyone _to handle!

**Quathis: ** Lol. Most definitely all of the above.

**whynot1993: **I agree;)

**Madlenita: **no prob.

**Chronos the cookie thief: **Lol, that wouldn't have been very nice; though he _did _kiss the man's baby.

**Madcloisfan: **You'll see.

**Cathy03: **No worries. It's no problem. You're allowed to miss updates;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Now is not the best time for Clark's phone to ring, but it does. So when he answers, he doesn't check the caller ID before barking out a frustrated "What!"

First there's silence. Then there's drawn out "_Excuse_ _me_?"

It's Lois. He snapped at Lois. She's gonna absolutely crucify him. Still, it's not the time. Their daughter doesn't seem to want to change back to normal all because her freakin' beloved Bobo finally kissed her.

"Lois, honey, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later," he says while hanging up; but he's still able to hear Lois practically choke on the word honey. He nearly smacks himself on the forehead, not believing he actually called _this _Lois honey. He really needs to get it together.

He pockets his phone and takes a deep breath before focusing on Jo'an. He's not surprised that her arms are crossed over her chest defiantly; that she's absolutely determined not to give in to him. She's just so damn stubborn, like her mother. He should remember that sometimes he has to deal with her the same way he deals with Lois.

He sighs, as if he's admitting defeat. "Okay."

She grins and uncrosses her arms before running to him and giving him the tightest hug she can manage.

"I'll take you to fill out some applications tomorrow," he murmurs against her hair.

Jo'an pulls back, a slight wrinkle in her nose. "Applications?" she repeats.

Clark frowns back at her, as if she should automatically know what he's talking about. "Yeah, Jo'an; you have to get a job, honey. Grown-ups work. They have to, because they have to pay rent; which reminds me, we should look for an apartment for you to rent."

"Why can't I just stay with you?" she cuts in.

Clark laughs. "Grownups don't live with their Daddies, Jo'an. Now, we have to make sure you get a good job because you're gonna have lots of bills to pay. Rent, electric, water,"-

"Water?" Jo'an frowns. Water should most definitely be free.

"Yes, water; oh and gas; which reminds me, you're gonna need a car, and insurance. Daddy's gonna have to teach you how to drive too, aren't I?" Clark asks, knowing the answer already.

"Why do I need to know how to drive?" Jo'an asks weakly. "Can't I just"-

"Use your super speed? You know you can't use super speed all the time, right honey?"

Jo'an nods her head sadly. A lot of the times she has to pretend to be human. Humans drive, they don't super speed.

"And you might not be able to afford cable for the first couple of years, but I'll buy you a radio. You can listen to"-

"No cable?" Jo'an's eyes widen, and just like that, she's his nine year old baby girl again. "I don't want to get a job, or pay bills, and have no cable," Jo'an wines, not even aware that she's changed back. "And _nobody _should have to pay for _water _Daddy!"

Clark drops down on one knee so that he's closer to Jo'an in height. "Looks like you won't need to yet," he grins. She looks down at herself, finally noticing that she's back to normal, and squeals in delight. She hugs her father tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. She's never been happier to be a little kid. All she's got to worry about is school, not a whole bunch of grown up bills and stuff.

"You gotta get going Jo'an," Clark announces after a few seconds. "I'm sure Mommy's noticed you've gone missing by now."

Jo'an's eyes widen. "She's gonna kill me," she shrieks before putting on the ring and disappearing.

Clark stares at that spot, the spot his daughter just disappeared for a little while. He won't get to see her for about another year. He constantly has to remind himself that a year's not that long while he destroys the ring.

Lois calls him again just minutes after the ring is destroyed. He takes a deep breath before answering.

"Chloe's fine," she starts off. "She just left with Oliver. They wouldn't say where they were going."

Clark's eyebrows dip in confusion. Where's the yelling? He called her honey _and _hung up on her the last time. If this another one of those silence before the storm…_things_-

"Smallville, you there?" she unknowingly interrupts his runaway thoughts.

"Yeah, Lois I'm here," he answers immediately, and to prove that he's been listening he says, "Oliver and Chloe went to go buy her wedding ring."

Oliver told him about the wedding ring Jimmy pawned for drug money, and how they have to go searching for it. It's sad really.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lois asks suspiciously.

Clark frowns back at the phone. What's she mean by that? What other meaning could there be?

"Smallville, Have Chloe and Oliver uh…"

She doesn't finish her sentence, but Clark knows what she's talking about. That must be what she was asking before. She thought he meant that Chloe and Oliver are looking for a new wedding for the two of them, not the old one for Chloe and Jimmy.

"No, not yet." He answers absently, as he heads for the bathroom.

"Not yet?" she fishes, and Clark decides it would be best if he just stopped talking. At the rate he's going, Lois will know that they'll have a daughter together in the not so distant future within the next five minutes.

"Uh Lois, I gotta go."

"Where?"

"Pee."

"Hold it."

"I can't," he says before hanging up on her. Whew, that was close. And so he won't feel guilty about lying to her, he goes pee. Then takes a shower. It's just what he needs.

Thirty minutes later, he's stepping out of the tub feeling refreshed and renewed. And as he didn't bring any clothing with him, he simply wraps a towel around his waist. It's not like there's anyone here anyway.

As soon as he opens the bathroom door, he finds out he was wrong…about there being no one here. Lois is standing there, hands on her hips, and glaring at him. He smiles back. "How long have you been waiting there, Lois?"

She narrows her eyes. "Spill." It's one of her one word commands that is meant to let him know just how serious she is. But he doesn't give in, even though he knows what she wants. "Spill what," he asks a little _too _innocently. "Hey, did you get your scoop in Mexico?"

Her eyes narrow even further. He's avoiding her question even further which means there is definitely more to tell. Just as she opens her mouth to warn him of all the ways she can make his life a living hell if he doesn't tell her what she needs to know, he shakes his head back and forth; showering her with water and a little of the shampoo he didn't do such a good job of rinsing out.

"God, Smallville, Shelby has more manners than you!" she exclaims while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Unfortunately for her, that's where most of the water landed.

"Sorry Lois," he grins, making it quite obvious that he's not sorry at all. He brings both hands up to his head, running them from the front of his head to the back, so that the rest of the water drips out in slow trickle down his back.

Lois scowls back at him, but the scowl is quickly replaced by an alarmed expression. Smallville's losing his towel. "W-whoa," she stammers as she grabs at it without thinking.

Clark grins down at her and puts his hand over hers. "Thanks," he says while fixing the towel himself.

"Okay, well; I better uh head out." Lois jabs her thumb behind herself to emphasis the out part. "See ya later, Smallville." She turns, but before she can actually take a step, Clark grabs her arm.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Lois?"

Lois faces him, and gives what she hopes looks like a nonchalant shrug. "I don't really need to know what Chloe and Oliver are up to. It's their business." She doesn't mean a word she's saying, but she does need to get outta there. She nearly grabbed Smallville's thing… his _thing. _

"Nope, that's not it." Clark shakes his head firmly.

"Then what?" Lois frowns, slowly beginning to forget about the little mishap from before, the one that almost sent her running down the stairs. She doesn't like to be confused, and she's most definitely on her way there because she specifically came over to pump information on her cousin and her ex out of Smallville. She didn't come for any other reason.

"You're supposed to hang out with me," Clark frowns as if it's the most obvious answer in the world.

Lois frowns. That again? She hung out with him just the day before yesterday, and she's about to tell him so when his facial expression gets to her. He's got this half pout, half hopeful expression there. And it is so unbearably pathetic that it's kind of cute…in a weird way. The poor guy must've been bored out of his wits while she was gone. And who could blame him? She _is_ the life of any party. Not that she's full of herself or anything.

"Are you getting all clingy on me?" she sighs and rolls her eyes dramatically, as if it's a burden to be needed by someone. It's just for show, and Clark knows it. So he asks her how Mexico was again.

"I'm ordering pizza," is her response. It's kind of a weird one, considering the question he just asked her, but he does remember his manners and he tells her thank you.

"With your card," she finishes with a wink, before heading downstairs.

Clark shakes his head. He should've known better. "My card's up here, with me!" Clark yells down at her, a note of triumph in his voice.

"I've already memorized all of your information," she yells back.

His mouth falls open. Why is he even surprised?

"Hurry up and get dressed. We got a lot to talk about before the pizza man gets here!" Lois yells.

Clark mutters a small oath under his breath, one he most definitely wouldn't be pleased with Jo'an if she said it. But he can't help it. Now that Lois is comfortable again she's gonna hound him about her cousin and her ex again.

Her ex. Crap, he forgot about Oliver being her ex. He really hopes she doesn't still have feelings for him.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Monday, the 7th


	69. Chapter 69

**IceQueen825: **no prob. I figured you'd be back this chapter;)

**Quathis: ** Lol. Thanks, I figured she'd do something like that.

**Silversnikle: **Yeah, I know. I hate fun writing the shower scene as well.

**Socks900: **Yeah, it's funny when people tell me to update soon. I just laugh 'cause I already have the update date at the bottom. But I'm glad you've noticed and you like that.

**whynot1993: **thank you, and we'll see what happens;)

**Alexindigo**: OMG you're trying to get me killed aren't you? If I add any Lollie that's exactly what will happen! Lol, But thank you so much for the review!

**Lilbit4: **Oh God, I wish! That would be the best thing ever!

**Madcloisfan, chashkieh, clauclois, Madlenita: **Thanks!

**Chronos the cookie thief: **Lol, I agree whole-heartedly!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"You know, Lois. You probably shouldn't date anyone while we're hanging out," Clark announces thoughtfully while tipping the pizza man…with yet more of _his _money.

Lois doesn't answer right away. She takes the two large boxes from the delivery guy and sets them on the coffee table before sitting down on the sofa. Then, without getting a plate from the kitchen first, she takes a slice out of her box and starts to devour it.

Clark sighs. She probably still thinks he was lying to her when he told her that nothing's going on between Oliver and Chloe. She'd taken to giving him the silent treatment afterward. She said it didn't add up; that he wouldn't be so tight-lipped and he wouldn't have said they aren't dating "yet" on the phone before if he didn't know _something. _

She hates being lied to. He knows that.

"Good luck with that, dude," the delivery guy smirks while shaking his head at Lois; and Clark immediately wishes he could take back half his tip before shutting the door in his face.

Clark walks into the kitchen and grabs just one plate. He'd grab one for Lois as well, but he doubts she'd use it. Even if she wasn't giving him the silent treatment, she still wouldn't take the plate. It'd be like him telling him what to do, which is another thing she doesn't like; and he knows that too.

He sits down next to her, ready to ask her what her answer to his question is until he notices that she's humming to herself; that, and her head is slightly bopping rhythmically. He takes a closer look at her ears and sees them; her little white ear buds. She wasn't ignoring him. She didn't hear a word he said. Which means he has to say it again.

He sighs a little. It was hard enough to say it the first time; and now after the smirk and the not so encouraging advice the pizza guy just gave him, he's much more nervous than before.

He reaches out to her and pulls one of the buds out of her ear.

"Hey!" she objects immediately.

"I said, you probably shouldn't date anyone while we're hanging out," he repeats quickly before he can lose his nerve.

Lois's eyebrows are raised unnaturally high as she yanks the other ear bud out. "Come again."

"I said,"-

"I heard what you said."

Clark frowns. If she knows what he said, then why'd she tell him to repeat himself?'

"Well," she prompts as she puts her third slice of pizza back in its box and turns herself to Clark, giving him her full attention

His frown deepens. Well what?

"Aren't you going to explain why you're trying to control my love life?"

"Oh." He turns his body so that he can face her as well as he explains. "I was just thinking about Chloe and"-

"Chloe? What's she got"-

"I was getting to that," Clark practically scolds her for interrupting. She scowls back, but lets him continue. "I'm always around because I'm her best friend and some guys just can't handle that." Now, that's not the real reason Clark doesn't want Lois dating anyone, but it was the only excuse he could come up with on the spot. He thinks he did pretty good considering he sucks at making up excuses.

Then Lois starts laughing, and he thinks to himself that he needs to do better. As he's racking his brain for a better excuse to give Lois, she says, "You think anyone I date will be jealous of you? God, you are so full of yourself."

"I am not," he bristles. "Chloe and Jimmy are getting a divorce. That's serious!" Again, he knows he's not the sole reason for Chloe and Jimmy's break up, but he feels that keeping his secret had a little to do with it. People don't seem to like it when their significant others keep secrets.

Lois rolls her eyes. He's being so dramatic; like she should be surprised. Is there anything the big lug doesn't blame on himself? But he's also a little right. Jimmy did have a problem with Clark always being around. It could cause a problem in any of her relationships. If her hypothetical next boyfriend told her he didn't want her hanging around Clark so much, she'd probably dump him. No one tells Lois Lane what to do; that includes telling her who she can and cannot hang out with. Plus it's not like she's interested in dating right now anyway. She decided to take a break about a month ago.

"Fine," she shrugs before lifting her feet up, one by one, and dropping them into his lap.

When he doesn't do anything but stare back at her, she looks from him to her feet then back at him. He wrinkles his eyebrows in confusion.

"You wanna know how my trip to Mexico went, Kent? I'm tired 'cause I did a lot of walking."

Clark smiles. She wants him to rub her feet, He can do that; plus, he's extremely pleased with himself for being able to get her not to date anyone else for the time being. Even if she is only doing it out of sympathy. He can work with that.

He takes off her shoes first, then he wrinkles his nose and waves his hand in front of his nose.

"They do not smell!" Lois exclaims while drawing her feet back.

Clark grins. They don't smell, he was just teasing. Who knew Lois Lane could be so sensitive? He grabs at her ankles. She struggles a little but he's able to coax her into sticking them back in his lap.

"So, Mexico?" Clark encourages, as he begins to rub her feet.

Lois shrugs. "There isn't much to tell, really. There's been a factory workers revolt in Mexico City, and who could really be surprised considering the government oppression and slave labor issues," she finishes quickly before grabbing another slice of pizza. A_ new_ slice; even though she's already got a half-eaten slice in the pizza box.

He's in the middle of shaking his head at her for that when she abruptly, and quite loudly, swears. For some odd reason, he doesn't feel the need to remind her not to use course language. Instead, he asks her if she's okay. She tells him she's fine, but she bit her tongue, as she takes another bite of pizza..

"Oh," is all he says as he continues to rub her feet. If she's still eating pizza, she can't be that hurt, can she?

"So, about Chloe and Oliver? Are you _sure _there's _nothing _there? Because now that I think about it"- And before Clark can reassure her that there's nothing amiss, she swears again; much louder this time and a much more grown up word.

She bit her tongue…_again_.

"Maybe you should slow down a little, there, Lois" Clark suggests, though he really wants to tell her to watch her language. She's got to get out of that habit before Jo'an gets here.

"Maybe you should mind your own business, Clark," she snaps back, effectively getting Clark's full attention. His head snaps up and he searches her face, wondering what's got her so cranky all of a sudden. She ignores him, grabbing the remote off the table and turning on the TV.

Maybe she had a worst time in Mexico than she cares to admit. The least he can do is make sure this foot massage is the best she's ever received.

Ignoring the TV, and all other distracting sounds, he concentrates solely on Lois. That way, he can tell which spots she likes for him to touch better and she won't even have to say anything. He just has to listen to her body.

It takes him no time at all to figure out where she likes to be rubbed best. The soles of her feet, which is a given as most everyone likes that, but he also notices that she shivers just a little when he does the spot just below her ankles.

He goes a little higher, trying to find more spots. She draws in a deep breath and holds it when he hits her calves. As he concentrates on working her calves, she grabs another slice of pizza. Isn't she full yet? Clark wonders to himself, but he doesn't dare ask her.

He tries to go a little higher up on her leg, it only makes sense to do so as it seems the higher he goes the more her body responds, but she jumps up off the couch and claims she's tired. Clark cocks his head to the side as she picks up her pizza box and rushes it to the kitchen. She doesn't look tired. She actually looks the opposite of tired, all wired up and ready to go, go, go.

Oh, well. He joins her in the kitchen, and as soon as he enters, she's leaving. It's like she can't get away from him fast enough. "See ya tomorrow, Smallville," she calls over her shoulder. He rushes after her. She can't leave; he's not ready for her to go.

"Uh, Lois," he calls.

"What," she says, she doesn't look back at him and she's already got the front door open.

He glances outside, and an idea comes to him. "Do you mind if we carpool tomorrow? Chloe borrowed my truck," he says. And it's actually true. One quick scan of the yard and Lois can see that his truck is indeed absent. It's a logical request on his part. How else is he supposed to get to work tomorrow?

She comes back inside and heads upstairs without saying a word to him. She has no choice but to stay the night.

"Lois?" Clark calls after her.

"Goodnight, Smallville," she answers back.

It should only take Clark a few minutes to clean up the kitchen, but he takes his time. He's trying to figure out why Lois is so grumpy all of a sudden. She was just fine before. Nothing horrible happened during the time the pizza was delivered and now. There was only the foot massage. And he could have sworn she liked it. That's what her body implied anyway. Maybe he got it wrong.

He heads upstairs with these thoughts on his mind, into his parents' room; but before he can get into their bed, Lois starts yelling at him.

He practically jumps out of his skin. He had no idea Lois was in here. She usually sleeps in his bed.

"Smallville, Out!" Lois yells when Clark doesn't seem to be leaving.

He hesitates still. To leave would mean he has to sleep in his bed, in his room. He hasn't slept there since he sent Jo'an away the very first time, when she was six years old. Here, in his parents' bedroom is where he, Lois, and Jo'an slept as a family. Here, is where he feels closest to them.

He doesn't want to sleep in his room.

"God, you are so weird!" Lois shouts. He's just standing there, like a big dumb statue.

She rises up onto her knees, puts her hands on his shoulders and attempts to turn him toward the door. That way he'll know in what direction "out" is.

"But I always sleep in here, ever since she left," he murmurs. Lois is sure he's talking to himself as she _barely _heard what he said. But she heard enough to realize that Smallville's been missing his mommy ever since she left for Washington. Tough nut really. He'll get over it.

She shoves a little harder, but he resists with a shake of his head.

"I don't want to be alone," he mummbles. He's still not really looking at her. It still seems as if he's talking to himself.

Lois drops her hands from his shoulder. What's she supposed to say to something like that? What _can _she say to something like that? Nothing right? Sure, she's a bit obnoxious to Clark; always teasing him and busting his chops, but she's never outright mean for no reason. She should go to his bedroom and let him have this one. She should. It would be for the best; but she's still Lois Lane. And she still doesn't like to lose. If she's the one who leaves, she's the one who loses.

"Fine," she shrugs before plopping back sown onto the bed and scooting over to the far end. "You just better stay on your side," she mumbles before turning over.

She half expects him to change his mind and head for his own bedroom, but she feels the bed dip beside her almost immediately.

She inhales deeply and holds her breath for a few moments before letting it out as quietly as she can. She can't concentrate, and she knows she's not going to get any sleep.

And she's right, thirty minutes later, she's still awake and Clark is fast asleep. She can tell by the way he's breathing. She sits up just enough so that she can take a peek at Clark beside her. His eyes are closed but he's facing her, and she takes the moment to blatantly stare at him. It's not her first time noticing how good-looking he actually is when all the dorkiness is stripped away. It's not even her second, or third, or fourth time. But it _is_ her first time being able to stare at him without being caught or questioned. She can't believe he's only ever been with one girl. You'd think a guy who looks like that should have had at least twenty ex-girlfriends by now.

"Jo'an," he murmurs in his sleep. Then he smiles so huge Lois almost begins to believe that he's awake. Then just like that, the smile's gone and Clark turns over showing her his back.

Lois scowls at the back of his head. Who the hell is Jo'an?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Friday, the 11th


	70. Chapter 70

**Socks900: **Of course!;)

**whynot1993: **Lol. Maybe;)

**Mickeiblue: **Aw; it's really not that long. It just seems like it. It's just four days. We used to have to wait a week to see a new episode;)

**Madcloisfan: **We'll see.

**Cathy03: **Ha ha, I am not a tease. Lois is the tease;)

**ClauClois,: **Of course I understood what you wrote;) You're English is not as bad as you think it is. And I'm so glad you still love the story. Thank you!

**Quathis: ** Lol. Lois usually does come up with the wrong conclusion, doesn't she?

**Maggie: **Honestly, I don't know. When I wrote the rest of the story down, it only went up to chapter 68; but when typing it up, I've had to cut every single chapter into halves and sometimes fourths because they were much longer than I thought they were. Even though I'm updating chapter 70, according to my notebook, where I have the completed story written down, we're just now getting to chapter 65. So guestimating wise, if I have to cut the rest into thirds we're probably looking at about ten to twelve more chapters. I hope no more than that.

**Madlenita: **Lol. Of course! What's Smallville without a confused Clark?

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark wakes up alone, which is odd. It shouldn't be. He's slept alone the past few weeks now, but he specifically remembers getting into bed with Lois last night; and now she's not here. She's gone…and in order for her to be gone, she has to be up.

Lois Lane never wakes up before Clark Kent. Never. Especially not before the sun's out.

But he can smell Coffee brewing; and when he listens hard enough, he can hear Lois downstairs bustling around the kitchen.

He dresses quickly and joins her, expecting to find her groggy and in her PJs still; but she's not. She's dressed and ready to go.

"Here," she says as she hands him a cup and heads for the door.

No "Good Morning, Smallville;" or a "Let's go, Kent;" not even a "Gross, you're wearing that?" He doesn't get_ anything_ out of her. She doesn't even wait for him to follow behind her; just heads for her car and expects him to follow, and he does…quietly.

In fact, the whole three hour ride to Metropolis is done in silence. Lois hates complete and uncomfortable silence, and now Clark's beginning to see why. When there's silence, he has no choice but to think and think and do some more thinking. Maybe he pushed her too hard last night. Maybe he shouldn't have asked her not to date anyone. Maybe he shouldn't have massaged her feet as thoroughly as he did. Maybe he shouldn't have slept with her. Maybe, maybe, maybe. There are so many things he probably shouldn't have done last night; how's he supposed to know which one is making her act like _this_? What if it's an accumulation of everything he did?

God, he'd give anything to know what she's thinking so that he could find a way to fix it.

It doesn't get any better once they get to work; but it's not Clark's fault. It's Zatanna's. She's standing at the entrance of the Daily Planet, waiting for him; and of course she's dressed in her usual attire. Black fishnets stockings, short black shorts, leather knee high boots, and an all too revealing top.

Lois barely pays Zatanna any attention until she says, "Hey, Clark. Can I speak to you for a second?"

Lois stops and backtracks a little, giving Zatanna the once over. She narrows her eyes, openly glowering at the magician before crossing her arms over her chest. "I had no idea the circus was in town."

"Lois!" Clark warns. Lois doesn't know Zatanna, and usually she doesn't insult strangers who've done nothing to her. She's definitely not having a good day today. Still, there's no reason to take her anger out on Zatanna…even though he has no idea _why_ she's angry in the first place.

Zatanna doesn't insult Lois back. She smiles instead, and it worries Clark. He's seen that smile before…just before Jo'an turned into a woman right before his eyes. "Zatanna"- Clark tries to warn her, but Lois cuts him off.

"What kind of a name is Zatanna?" she asks, but it looks, for lack of a better word, weird. Like her question doesn't match the tone of her voice or the expression of her face. For that kind of a question, Lois, or any other person on the planet, should pretty much be scoffing. Lois looks, and sounds, more _relieved _than anything.

Zatanna doesn't answer Lois's question, instead she asks her if she can borrow Clark for a second.

Lois shrugs and the scoff thing makes magically reappears. "He's not my property," she shrugs as nonchalantly as she can before walking away.

Clark shakes his head slightly, wishing for the second time today that he could understand the women around him better. That way, he'd know what to do when one of them starts acting strange for almost no reason.

He gives Zatanna his attention and his eye widen immediately. Her eyes are glowing, just the way they did before his little Jo'an turned into big Jo'an.

"Zatanna! What have you done?" he hisses while pulling her off to the side, though he's still visible to the public as he's outside and in front of the Daily Planet.

"I granted your wish," she answers proudly, as if she's done him some huge and grand favor.

"But I didn't say anything." He frowns back.

Zatanna shrugs lightly. "You don't have to say anything. As long as you have a desire, it'll get granted."

Clark finds himself getting a little angry, and panicky. He has plenty of desires. They range from being PG thoughts, often involving his daughter, to fantasies that are pretty much rated X and involve _making_ his daughter. And then there are the ones in between that he wouldn't actually _truly_ want to happen. Like sometimes he just wants to be a normal human being, but he knows that he can't because he has a job to do. He's got gifts, abilities, and a good moral conscious that enable him to keep those around him safe from harm. He's especially gonna need those if he plans on doing something about those Kandorians Jo'an mentioned before. He knows they'll be here soon.

"I thought you learned your lesson!" Clark exclaims angrily. Just thinking about losing his powers, or anything else inconvenient happening to him, at a time like this puts him on edge.

"I did. Don't bring Daddy back from the dead." She retorts immediately. But it only makes Clark angrier. She should have learned not to tamper with people's lives too. "I was just trying to thank you for helping me," Zatanna says, and Clark can tell she was genuinely trying to help. Still he can't bring himself to thank her. Not when he has no idea what's going to happen to him within the next few moments.

He breathes a sigh of relieve when he overhears a radio broadcast, announcing a hostage situation currently taking place in a textile factory in the garment district of Metropolis. It looks like he's still got his abilities. He disappears, heading for the scene of the crime and leaving Zatanna behind without so much of a goodbye.

He enters the factory, speeding past the many officers outside. HE knows they're negotiating with the criminal, or criminals, but Clark can actually make sure each hostage gets out safely himself without ever speaking to the masterminds of this crime.

Quickly, Clark scans the scene before him and it doesn't take him long to put things together. There're the hostages, down on the floor and gagged. Then there's the bomber, sitting mightily in his chairs with a mask covering his face and a belt of explosives around his middle as he watches them. It disgusts Clark. People should not feed on, or get any enjoyment out of, others' fears.

He zooms the hostages out to safety one by one, taking immense satisfaction in spoiling the bomber's plans. The bomber doesn't react, he probably hasn't even fully realized his hostages are gone because Clark took them away so fast. But Clark doesn't give him the chance to realize they're gone either. It could be dangerous still. Once the bomber realizes he's lost his leverage, he can come to the conclusion that he has nothing to live for and detonate the bomb, taking innocent lives still.

"Don't even think about pulling that trigger," Clark says before picking the man up and tossing him across the room. Not hard enough to do irrevocable dame, but just enough to render him unconscious. He'll live.

But when the bomber lands, his mask comes off, revealing a man who's also gagged and bound.

He's not a terrorist, Clark immediately realizes. He's hostage, just like the others.

Clark glances around quickly, bot expecting to find the real terrorist, but hoping to find some form of a clue. He gets lucky. There, not even ten feet away from him, is a wind-up toy clown; it's hand just centimeters away from pressing on its bright red nose.

Instinctively, Clark realizes the clowns nose is the trigger; that there's about to be an explosion and he only has time to cover the bomb and absorb the explosion into his own body. It's the only way to protect the last hostage, as well as all others outside the factory. As the bomb goes off, he has only one thought, a name, Winslow Schott. He's behind all of this.

There's a big rumble;, a bit of dust is kicked up after the bomb and Clark's clothes are torn to bits, but no major damage has been done to the factory or the hostage who is still unconscious. It's for the best. At least he won't be able to identify Clark as The Blur.

Clark rushes home to change his clothes, then comes right back to the scene of the crime; even though what he really wants is to go find Winslow. The last time he and Winslow were in contact, he was putting bombs into small children's bedrooms, distracting him so that Lex could abduct his daughter. She was nearly killed because of him, and it makes Clark feel even better about destroying the ring so that Jo'an can't come back here. She's not safe. Not yet.

But Clark swallows his rising anger, as he shows up at the factory ready to work. He's still a reporter after all. Bombs and hostages are good subjects to write about. He's just gonna show his face, ask a few questions, and then he'll go looking for Winslow. It shouldn't be too hard to find him. He should be in jail. After all, he _did _kill Lex Luthor.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Tuesday, the 15th


	71. Chapter 71

**Maggie, Madcloisfan, Madlenita: **Thanks!

**whynot1993: **Lol. You'll live. I promise.

**Silversnikle: **Yeah, I know.

**Lilbit4: **It's no problem

**Quathis: ** Yeah, it's more than obvious, but I hope there's still a bit of a surprise there.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

_Screech!_

Clark jumps in his skin and turns around quickly. He's clearly been startled; which doesn't happen to him often, but his thoughts are so focused on Winslow that he didn't hear the approaching car. _Lois's _approaching car.

She hops out and rushes toward him.

More than positive that she's about to freak out and apologize for nearly hitting him, he opens his mouth to tell her that he's fine. She didn't hit him.

"Did I miss him?"

Clark nearly bites his tongue off because of how quickly he cuts off what was _supposed_ to be him accepting Lois's heart-felt apology and graciously offering his forgiveness.

"Clark! I said did I miss him?" Lois repeats while snapping her fingers in front of his face.

"If by "him," you mean me, barely," Clark scowls back at her. He knows who she's talking about. The Blur. She talks about him a _lot_ and he can't help but to feel a little jealous. Sure, he _is _the Blur, but he doesn't want Lois to like the Blur more than she likes him…though she doesn't really like him at all right now. And that thought puts him in even more sour mood.

Then Lois scoffs out an, "Not you; The Blur." And Clark tries his best to swallow down the irritation he's feeling toward The Blur, which is himself, before he answers her.

"He was long gone by the time I got here," he says politely.

"Oh," Lois comments disappointedly before walking right past him. Then as if thinking better of it, she turns back giving Clark a suspicious look. "Hey, how'd you get here so fast, anyway? My guy at Met P.D. didn't leak this until a few minutes ago."

Clark shrugs and offers her a relieved smile. He was so sure she'd just put two and two together and figured out he's The Blur. "We all can't be as fashionably late as Lois Lane," he grins.

Lois actually chuckles at his little comment. Sometimes she lets him get away with smarting off. This seems to be one of those times. Clark breathes a little easier when she continues to walk away from him. Apparently, she's satisfied with the evasive answer he just gave her. At least he thought she was until he hears:

"You're gonna let him off that easy? Just because he's got a tight ass and those crater dimples does not mean he gets off easy! You should go back and say something."

Clark jogs a little to catch up with her. He knows he heard Lois say something about him having a tight...er… bottom, but he's also sure his hearing must be faulty. Lois would never say something like _that_ out loud.

"Lois, what'd you just say?" he asks, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Lois impatiently turns to face him. "I didn't say anything. You should get your hearing checked."

_God, you're so damn sexy. _

Clark's eyes widen. Her mouth was shut, yet he distinctively heard her voice, and it said he was _sexy_. Even Lois can't talk with her mouth shut.

Then he remembers. Zatanna. She granted one of his wishes even though he didn't make one out loud. He remembers thinking that it would be better for him if he could understand the women around him. And now it looks like he can read Lois's mind.

She doesn't notice that he's staring at her, wondering what to do about this new power of his. She's not even looking at his face. Her eyes have traveled downward, to his chest, and they're getting lower and lower.

_Damn, I should've let that towel drop last night. _She thinks and abruptly her eyes snap back up to his face.

_Keep your eyes on his face, eyes on his face, EYES ON HIS FACE. _

"What?" She demands, finally noticing that he's staring at her with a funny little smile on his face.

Clark shrugs and shakes his head fervently. He's suffering from a mild case of shock. Lois is having dirty thoughts about him. _Him! _

"I swear Smallville, you're such a weirdo."

_And you're no better 'cause you're pervin' on the weirdo, Lane._ _Now just turn around and walk away. _

Clark speaks up then. He doesn't want Lois to go just yet. He knows it's wrong, listening to her private thoughts this way, but he can't help it. He wants to hear more.

"Hey Lois, are you coming over tonight, to hang out with me?"

_What,__** Jo'an**__ didn't answer your calls or something and now you want to hang out with me? I am no one's back up plan!_

"Can't tonight Smallville. I've got loads to catch up on," she lies smoothly before finally getting away to do some reporter's work.

_Maybe you should stay the night again Lane, if we end up in bed together again then maybe…no, no, no…not gonna happen. That's Smallville, Smallville, Smallville….Yeah, but there are some parts of him that aren't so small….stop it! Just shut up!... _

_C_lark watches her go, confusion written all over his face. All those things she was thinking brings him great pleasure, but Jo'an? How does Lois know that name? It's more than obvious that she's come to the wrong conclusion about him and Jo'an; that she doesn't know Jo'an's just a little girl, or else she wouldn't have been jealous-

Jealous. Lois was jealous of "Jo'an." Which only means one thing. She doesn't hate him the way she pretends to. She just won't admit it; not even in her thoughts.

Clark grins widely as he watches Lois question, which looks more like an interrogation, one of the officers. He's beginning to see that it won't be nearly as hard as he thought to get Lois to love him. She's at _least_ halfway there already!

He should really thank Zatanna for her wonderful gift.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **So sorry I'm late. I got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and I thought I was gonna be okay, but after the anesthesia wore off, I was down for the count. I woke up once to find out that I couldn't eat even though I was starving, so I just went back to sleep.

Next post will be Saturday the 19th.


	72. Chapter 72

**Maggie, chashkieh, kellicb, garmor, firefaerie15: **Thanks!

**Madcloisfan: **Lucky you. I would have loved for that to be the only thing that irritated me;)

**SilverSnickle: **Lol. I figured you guy would like that.

**Quathis: **Lol.I'm not sure about thought Sex. I think it'll only work if both of them could read each other's minds.

**Madlenita: **Maybe;)

**Whynot1993: **lol. You're welcome.

**IceQueen825: **Lol. No, there wasn't really any doubt; but I'm still glad you liked it.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark is still smiling when he just walks into the Talon apartment where he's got a date with Chloe and her laptop. HE called her a few minutes ago to let her know what's going on and to ask for her help in finding which prison Winslow is currently residing in.

"I thought you said a toy bomb went off and a couple innocent hostages could've died?" Chloe questions when she sees him and that huge grin on his face. It's basically her way of politely asking him what he's got to be so happy about at a time like this.

He gets it immediately and because he can barely contain his excitement he tells her. "Lois thinks about me." He's still grinning. He can't help it. He'll get to Winslow, no doubt about it. He should have a few minutes to himself to be happy about is revelation, right?

Chloe cocks an eyebrow. "So what?" is what her facial expression is clearly saying.

"_Naughty_ thoughts," Clark emphasizes, wanting to wipe that look off of Chloe's face.

Chloe snorts and rolls her eyes. "You read her diary?"

"Nope, I read her mind," Clark answers, letting Chloe know that he's 100 percent sure of his findings because his source is none other than Lois Lane herself.

It works. Chloe stops with the smirking and snorting, and her eyes go wide. Clark's afraid she's going to tell him how utterly intrusive it is to read her cousin's mind; but she asks "How?" instead.

He squints his eyes at her. Where's the lecture? There's supposed to be a little lecture and she's supposed tell him he needs to figure out a way to get rid of this new power of his. "Zatanna," he answers.

"Can you read my mind?" Chloe asks so quickly Clark's not even sure she heard his answer to _why _he can read minds.

"No." he tells her. It's not technically a lie. He doesn't know if he can read her mind. He wished he could understand the women around him. Obviously Zatanna granted that wish; but he hasn't heard anything from Chloe yet. He's about to tell her so when the look of pure relief passes across her face. This makes him even more suspicious.

"Why? Is there something you know that I should too," Clark asks.

"No," she answers quickly. Too quickly. She's lying to him.

She clears her throat before changing the subject. "So, you said you saw a tow clown. Are you sure it was Winslow's"

_Of course it was Winslow's, Sullivan. _Clark hears Chloe berate herself…in her mind. Apparently, he _can _hear her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Clark confirms only the fact that the bomb was Winslow's and not that he can read her thoughts. He'd tell her, but he's hoping she'll think of whatever it is that she wouldn't tell him before.

_I need to warn Oliver. _She thinks as she turns from him and busies herself on her laptop. Clark thinks nothing of it at first. It was Oliver's textile factory that Winslow nearly blew up; and it's not like Winslow didn't attempt to blow Oliver up during a board meeting he was attending some weeks ago. But then he hears the last part of Chloe's thoughts and he freezes. He distinctively hears Chloe thoughts as she says, no _thinks_, _He can't be too happy with Oliver for framing him for a crime he committed. _

That statement could logically only mean one thing. Winslow had been arrested for the murder of all those board members as well as the murder of Lex Luthor. If Oliver framed him, that could _only _mean Oliver killed either killed those members of the board, which Clark doubts, or…

"_Oliver _killed Lex!" he gasps out loud.

Chloe spins around in her chair to face him, eyes wide as they can possibly go. She'd deny it; but he wasn't guessing. By the tone of his voice, she could tell he was sure; absolutely, one hundred percent positive.

"How'd you"- she starts, but she knows. He read her mind.

_Shit!_

"Language!"

"You said you couldn't read my mind!" Chloe rebuttals.

"Where's Oliver?" He demands. He doesn't care that he read her mind and that it's wrong because if he didn't do it, he wouldn't have found this out. Who knows how long Chloe's been keeping this secret from him. She's supposed to be his best friend. He's supposed to be able to trust her. How is he supposed to ever trust her again?

Chloe shakes her head. She's not telling.

"Chloe!" Clark demands as he grabs her arms so that she has to face him.

_La La La La _

"Chloe!" he yells again when he realizes she's purposely distracting herself so that she won't give up any more information. She's taking Oliver's, a _murderer's_, side over his. It looks like she's not the person he thought she was. It looks like he doesn't know her as well as he thought. And how could he be friends with someone he doesn't know?

"Fine," he relents. "I'll find him myself. And with that said, he leaves her there so fast she thinks four more "la's" before she realizes he's gone.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Clark doesn't know why he stayed so long with Chloe, asking her where Oliver was. He's found him just as easily enough, even though Oliver didn't take any of his calls. They went straight to voicemail.

He went by the daily Planet, he's not sure why. There's no reason for Oliver to be there, but that's the first place he looked, and as luck would have it, there he was. At the Daily Planet, talking to Lois.

He can feel himself getting angry. He doesn't want the murderer near his…near Lois.

"Oliver I need to speak to you," Clark says as he rushes up to the two of them.

Lois takes two seconds to let the startled look rest on her face before kicking it to the curb.

"Take a number, Smallville. I'm not done." Then she gives Oliver her full attention. "Where was I? Oh yes, but I'm getting nowhere with these hostages. They're all either tight lipped, too mouthy, or unconscious- Hey, Smallville!" Lois yells when Clark physically drags Oliver away.

"It's important!" Clark calls back.

She nearly follows him, just to kick his very tight ass for pulling a stunt like that, but she composes herself when she realizes Jeff and Anne are staring at her with their mouths open.

"What the hell are you looking at?" she barks before taking her seat at her desk.

Their eyes leave her face and search for another object to focus on as they take her lead; going to their desks and pretending to be working very hard.

Witnessing most of this, Oliver shakes his head, pitying the two reporters. "Thanks for rescuing me," he jokes with Clark once they're in the elevator.

Clark doesn't smile back.

It makes Oliver nervous. He really hopes he's with the right Clark and not one of his doppelgangers or split personalities.

"So, we're headed for the roof?" Oliver asks when he sees Clark mash the button. He's trying to get Clark to say something, _anything._

"We need privacy," Clark answers shortly.

"Uh-huh. So um, if you're coming out of the closet or something, I'm afraid you're not my type," he jokes. Still nothing from Clark, not even indigent denial.

_This is bad. _

But Clark doesn't hear Oliver's thoughts. He's not a woman.

"Okay, Clark. What's going on," Oliver demands once they've gotten their privacy.

Clark wastes no time. "You killed Lex!" he snarls.

Oliver blinks in surprise. Out of all the things that crossed his mind, this never even entered.

So instead of denying it, which wouldn't have done him any good anyway, he asks Clark how he found out. Though he already knows. Chloe was the only other person who knows. Well, besides Winslow.

"It doesn't matter_ how _I _know, Oliver! You're a murderer!"_

The word "Murderer" prompts Oliver to speak up. No, he's not proud of what he did; but Clark's making it seem as though _he's _one of the bad guys. He's not. Lex was evil. Has Clark truly forgotten the things Lex did? "You know, Lex may have been your friend a lifetime ago, Clark, but eventually, he would have killed you. And you know it!"

Clark shakes his head. "No, I don't know it. And now we'll never know it because Lex is dead; and _you _killed him. Not only did you kill him, but you let another man take the blame!" Clark says, disgust dripping from every word.

Oliver bristles. Does Clark think he feels good about what he's done? No, he doesn't. He makes himself forget what he's done. He doesn't acknowledge it, or think about it; because when he _does _think about it the guilt is so overbearing it nearly suffocates him. But he did what he had to do; what Clark couldn't do. That's right. Clark would never end a man's life. He'd leave him alive, allowing him to murder more and more innocent lives. Allowing him, a man who knows Clark's secret, to develop suit that gives him the same powers as Clark. And not only did the suit give the person who wore it powers, but it also absorbed and retained kryptonite so that one day he could kill Clark. Then what would happen? There'd be no more of The Blur. More innocent blood would be spilled.

Oliver stopped that from happening; just by ending one life. It was for the greater good, and Clark needs to know it. "You know what? This is great, really, really great. You don't have the guts to take out the murdering bastard. I come in, I mop up your mess, and what do you do? You get all self-righteous on me!"

"Self-righteous?"

"We do what we have to do, Clark!" Oliver finishes as if Clark hadn't interrupted. "Lex was the bad guy! _He _was the murderer! He took many innocent lives!"

"That doesn't mean you had to take his!"

"What if it was you're friend, or wife, or child, or parents that he killed?" Oliver asks, desperate to personalize this so that Clark can see; so that he can understand better.

Oliver will never know how close Clark actually came to seeing his point; because there was a moment. After he got that text from Lex, after Lex nearly killed his baby; his precious Jo'an. Clark was going to find him. He was going to make him pay. He'll never know if he would've actually killed him; but he does know that he wanted to. He wanted to take another man's life. But he can't dwell on that. He can only deal with the now.

"Lex didn't kill your parents. Lionel did," he answers Oliver's question.

"And Lex was following in his father's footsteps. I had to stop him." and the fact that Oliver could believe that; that he couldn't see that not every man follows behind his parents. That they can choose a different destiny for themselves lets Clark know that Oliver isn't the man he thought he was.

"Thank you, Oliver. But I'll take it from here," he says. It's clearly a dismissal, from the team, from the friendship, from everything.

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

**A/N: **Next post will be Wednesday, the 23rd


	73. Chapter 73

**whynot1993: **Lol.

**Madcloisfan: **Clark destroyed the ring;)

**Briellehalliwell1018: **Thank you! Hope you do well on your finals. Study hard, even if you have to miss more chapters. School's more important!

**Quathis: ** Yeah, I know. Hopefully I make it work

**Maggie: **Lol. But Clark is rather harsh on the show. Don't ya think?

**Silversnikle: **Thanks! I can see both sides too, but I tend to side with Chloe more often than not But I think I was objective enough that it didn't show here. Hopefully.

**Madlenita: **Pretty much

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O~

Clark gets into the elevator alone. Oliver doesn't follow. He's glad for that. It would've been a tight fit. The two of them plus Doubt, Anger, Guilt, Regret; they wouldn't have all fit comfortably in that teeny tiny elevator; not without suffocating.

And thankfully the ride isn't as long going down as it was coming up. Really. It seems as if as soon as Clark steps into the elevator, it's spitting him back out into the bullpen; and he has to smile because Lois's is the first face he sees. She doesn't see _him_ though. She's on the phone, seemingly arguing with someone, but he can't be sure. Lois's demeanor sometimes suggests she's arguing even when she's not. He could listen in, but having already read her mind earlier he's sure he's maxed out his intruding personal space card for the day.

"That's an interesting outfit, Kent."

Clark turns around quickly, facing the woman who commented on his attire, Tess Mercer, his boss and Jo'an's beloved "Mercy." The woman who lets his baby watch R movies and leaves her alone for _hours_ because she doesn't want to treat her like a kid…which is exactly what Jo'an is.

Tess isn't looking at his face, but downward. Clark looks down too. His shirt is a bit wrinkled and his jeans…jeans. He's wearing blue jeans at work! He could've sworn he changed into another pair of slacks after the bomb.

"If you want to graduate from the bullpen to the corner office, you need to look the part." She says sternly.

"I wasn't wearing this before. I uh…I just had to take my other pants to the cleaners," Clark makes up on the spot.

"You wet yourself?" she smirks.

"No, I uh"-

"It's okay," Tess cuts him off with a smile that suggests she was just joking before but now it's time to get down to business.. "I'll take you shopping when we get back."

"Come back?" Clark frowns uncertainly. Certainly, he's missed something. Come back from where? Where are they going…together, because he distinctively heard, "when _we_ get back," and not, "when _I_ get back."Uh…Tess? Where are_ we _going?" he asks almost nervously.

"Yeah, where _are_ you two going?" Lois jump in out of nowhere.

Clark just plain jumps. How is it that she was able to sneak up on him like that? Wasn't she _just _engrossed in a very important phone call?

Tess turns her body, just slightly, to include Lois in the conversation, though she'd rather not. Lois takes an unnecessarily big step forward, inviting herself into the loop.

Tess barely spares Lois a frown. Of course, she doesn't remember inviting Lois over. She was specifically talking to Clark, but as annoying as Lane can be, Tess is starting to get used to her rude habits of barging in and interrupting. So, even though Lois has made herself a part of this conversation, Tess keeps her focus on Clark when she answers their question. "L.A. I'm announcing the new Mercer media group at a press conference, and I need a friendly reporter to lob softballs."

"And you want me to go with you?" Clark asks skeptically.

"Yeah, why _exactly_ do you want him to go with you?" Lois asks suspiciously, hands on her hip.

Clark nearly rolls his eyes. He can tell she's competing with him, wondering why he should get to go to L.A. and not her. It's just like when they were younger. She used to always make sure she got to everything before he did. The shower, the television, the pies his mother made; this is no different.

"Every cub reporter gets his big break. This just happens to be yours, Clark." Tess answers with a slight shrug and a smile.

_Oh, I'd like to give you a big break all right._

Clark's eyes widen and he nearly shushes Lois, not believing she actually said that to Tess; but Tess keeps talking, as if she didn't hear Lois threaten her. Then he realizes Tess _didn't _hear Lois; that _nobody_ heard Lois but him.

"Don't underestimate your talents, Kent." Tess says turning from Lois, wordlessly excluding her out of the "circle."

_You better be talking about his reporting talents._

"There's no telling where they'll take you. The sky is the limit." She concludes.

_The sky, yes; but his talents better not end up in your bed, Bitch!_

"Language, Lois!" Clark hisses automatically.

"What?" Lois frowns confused by Clark's response to…well, nothing as she hasn't _said_ anything.

"Nothing….uh…Thanks Tess, but I uh…"-

"Do you have more _important_ things to do?" Tess cuts in.

_Yeah. Me!_

"What?" Clark nearly shrieks.

Tess raises a brow at him. "I said,…"

She repeats what she said, but Lois interrupts.

_No, not me. Stop it, Lane! Stop that right now! You're not sleeping with Smallville._

"Oh, we heard what you said, Tess." Lois rolls her eyes as if she's not talking to woman who can have her fired.

_Plus, he doesn't even like you like that! And if he did?_

"We?" Tess frowns in almost an amused manner, then she looks to Clark to see what he has to say. He doesn't say anything at first, He's a little distracted by Lois's train of thoughts.

_If he did…hmmm…first things first, he would NEVER be allowed to wear clothes when we're alone…_

"Lois!"

"What?" She frowns again. What is his problem?

"Uh…Lois and I," Clark chokes, struggling to get out a coherent sentence. How does she do that? Think _that_ way, and not show it on her face? Hold two completely different conversations, one in her head and one out loud without mixing the two up?

"You and Lane…" Tess prompts a little impatiently.

Clark mentally shakes his head. He's supposed to be answering a question…What the hell was the question? Oh, right. Does he have more important things to do? "Lois and I, uh, were supposed to, um…the bombing this morning, we were supposed to question the witnesses," he has to mentally fight himself not to add on "and stuff" at the end of that poor excuse of a sentence.

Tess smiles. That's an easy fix. "Lane can handle a few witnesses on her own. I have faith in her abilities as a reporter."

_Like hell you do, you evil red-headed-_

"Lois!" Clark reprimands.

"What the hell is going on with you, Smallville!" Lois practically shouts. He's acting weirder than his normally weird self.

Clark looks from Lois to Tess, realizing that he's unable to concentrate on either one while Lois is arguing with Tess…in her head and out loud at the same time. He doesn't even understand how _Lois _is able to concentrate on what she's saying.

"You're right, Tess. Lois is more than capable of handling a few witnesses on her own." Clark says and because he doesn't want to hear another thought Lois has, he starts walking toward the steps, trying to get away as fast as possible before he can accidently respond to the wrong things again. He'll just have to deal with Winslow later. He'll text Chloe, make sure she finds him, once she finds him, he'll have Oliver….Oliver. How'd he forget so fast that Oliver is no longer to be trusted, and neither is Chloe for that matter? He can't text Chloe to have her find Winslow. He can't call Oliver to have him catch Winslow while he's with Tess either. Who knows what Oliver will do to him? If Oliver can murder, there's no telling what else he's capable of.

With that thought in mind, he decides to tell Tess that he can't go with her. He has to stay behind and deal with Winslow. She can let some other cub reporter get his break. She's right beside him and he turns his head slightly to give his, and get her, attention, but before he can tell her any of this, she speaks. "Good. Because the only reporters I want working for the planet are those who take their jobs seriously."

The way she says it. Clark knows that if he doesn't "take his job seriously," he might be out of a job. And he needs his job here at the Daily Planet. It's the best place for him to be. Not only does it provide a great cover for "The Blur," but it gives him access to everything from crime scenes to the most important people. Looks like he'll be texting Chloe after all, but it's only for professional reasons.

Then he has a thought, a quite disturbing thought. Tess is a woman, right? And she is "around" him. He's been hearing all kinds of thoughts from other women around him too but he hadn't paid much attention, so he knows it's not only Lois and Chloe's minds he can read. So, How come he didn't hear any of Tess's thoughts? She _is _a woman. She's got…women parts. He sneaks a few peeks at her, studying her face. Maybe…maybe she wasn't always a woman.

_Stop it, Clark, _He chastises himself. That's just great, just peaches and oranges. Lois is rubbing off on him. That was _not _a very nice thought to have about his boss; not only that, but if she could read _his_ mind, he'd be fired. And like he was forced to realize just moments before. He really needs his job here at the Daily Planet.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O~

**A/N: **Sorry guys, I lost my phone last week. I keep all my fanfiction stories on the little msd card inside of it because my computer broke once before and I lost all my stories; so then I started saving my stuff on my phone, figuring it'd be safe there. I never counted on losing my phone! But a guy found it for me. He called my mother up and told her a sob story of how he lost his phone just a few days before and considered finding my phone a "blessing" as he was going to keep it to replace the one he'd lost. Only, he couldn't do it because he scrolled down my "call log" and noticed that more than 70% of my calls came from, and went out to, my contact named "Mommy." And it was _only _because he saw that I make a lot of calls to my mother that he felt it would be wrong to keep my phone. He said it touched his heart. Then he ruined it by asking me for a damn finder's fee. This meant I had to wait until payday to get my phone back because it wasn't exactly in my budget for that week. _Then, _I still couldn't get my phone back until yesterday afternoon because he was away for Memorial Day weekend! Again, sorry you had to wait so long. This time it wasn't really my fault…well, I_ was_ the one who lost my phone, but the jerk who found it should've given it back for free if you ask me. You would've had your update on time. Well, not on time, but it would've only been like a day late.


	74. Chapter 74

**Mickeiblue: **thank you. Lol, I hope Tess isn't really a man.

**Cathy03: **Lol. Well, the next time I lose my phone, I hope you're the one to find it;)

**Quathis: ** Thanks! I was just trying my best not to make it confusing;)

**Finder's fee not required: **Thanks for the definition, but I honestly don't think "finder's fee" were his words. I think he asked for a "reward," _I _said finder's fee. My bad.

**Maggie, Lilbit4, Madcloisfan: **thanks!

**whynot1993: **Lol. I know, I think he's gone soft ever since he found out about Jo'an. He doesn't want anyone teaching his baby bad habits;)

**Silversnikle: **Thanks! You're right the triple convo scene was the hardest. I was trying my hardest to make sure it wasn't confusing.

**Whatweareafraidof: **I like them too. I think they're very entertaining.

**Ica013: **You're trying to make me feel guilty aren't you? With a review like that, that's the only thing you could be doing, adding reverse psychology and stuff. Making me feel bad for taking a break on this story, huh. Nah, I'm just kidding. Thanks for reading this very, very, long story; and I'm glad you were able to enjoy it. Though I did get tired of writing the story, it always makes me feel better to her that someone thinks I'm doing an ok job;)

**Madlenita: **maybe;)

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Somehow, The Toyman, AKA Winslow Schott, wasn't in jail. Someone posted his bail a week ago. The murdering psychopath had been out and about for a week and Clark didn't even know it.

No matter; though he and Chloe aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment, she still came through for him. Winslow's back in jail, where he belongs thanks to her. Strain or no strain on their friendship, Winslow is still an attempted murderer, a threat to innocent civilians. Chloe didn't have to think twice about helping him catch the bad guy. Which is why they've been such good friends for so long, because of those values. But then , when Clark thinks on Chloe's good morals, he can't help but to remind himself that those morals of hers aren't as good as he thought. Not if she knew Oliver killed another man and didn't say anything to him, or even to the police, about it. Not if she sided with him, the murderer.

No matter how helpful Chloe is, and will be, Clark won't ever be able to get over what she's done; so, he redirects his thoughts, focusing on another woman. Tess Mercer. She's in a Phoenix emergency room because their jet, or _Oliver's_ jet, exploded over the Arizona desert.

He's not sure how it happened. One minute, he's making small talk with Tess and worrying about whether or not Chloe was able to locate Schott, and the next the jet's going through extremely heavy turbulence, the pilot's no longer in the pit, and the parachutes were gone! What else could he do but put a breathing mask over Tess's face, inconspicuously cut off her oxygen supply until she passed out, and then jump out of the jet with her?

The landing was a bit rough. He might've sprained her ankle a little, but it could've been far worse for her. Especially, because not even five seconds after jumping the jet exploded. Meaning someone obviously made an attempt on her live. Better yet, it was Oliver's jet. More than likely someone was trying to kill _him_ instead. That seems more likely as Oliver's the one who framed a man for a murder he didn't commit.

It was a bomb that nearly killed all those hostages in Oliver's factory just this morning; then another bomb nearly killed Tess on Oliver's jet. These aren't coincidences. These are repercussions.

_See Oliver? Your actions have consequences, deadly consequences._

He's shaking his head at those thoughts as he enters Tess's room. She's bustling about, hurriedly pacing while on her cell. She doesn't even notice Clark has entered her room. If she had, she wouldn't have slipped her gown off over head so that she can change back into her blouse.

Clark's eyes nearly fall out of his sockets, and he immediately turns around, his face redder than a schoolgirl who's written a love letter to the boy she has a crush on only to have it snatched up and read aloud to the class by her teacher. He's quickly making his way to the door when Tess stops him.

"I'm decent, Mr. Kent. You can turn back around."

Clark turns slowly, knowing that his face is still as red as a ripe tomato.

Tess is smirking at him, one eyebrow raised. "And who says chivalry is dead?" she comments, making him feel even more embarrassed, though he would've thought that's be impossible several seconds ago. And since he's so embarrassed, he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind, just to change the subject.

"It was nice of Oliver to let you use his private jet."

Tess furrows her eyebrows and Clark nearly palms his forehead. Why'd he say that? The jet went down in flames. He doubts Tess thinks it was nice of Oliver to let her use his jet.

"Well, before it exploded…it was a nice…uh gesture, I guess," Clark stammers with a shrug.

Tess eyes him for a few more seconds, which makes him squirm a little, before she gives him a smile, seemingly unable to detect any sarcasm or malice in his earlier comment. "Well, LuthorCorp and Queen Industries are one big happy conglomerate now. We share all of our toys."

"Right," Clark nods. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt."

She smiles at him once more before she begins the bustling about again. She's packing to go home. She should be resting. She's had a major ordeal.

"Uh, Tess, don't you think you should rest?" Clark chances overstepping any boundaries there might be to ask her.

"No time to rest, Mr. Kent. I've got a very important gala to attend tomorrow night." Then she looks up at Clark. "You should come."

"Oh I"-

"And bring a plus one," Tess interrupts what she was sure would be an "I'm sorry but I won't be able to make it." She doesn't want any excuses, just for him to be there.

Clark gets it immediately, and remembering that she _is_ his boss, he manages to put a tight smile on his face. "I would think parachuting out of a jet and landing in the Arizona desert would've slowed you down, but... you seem to be doing just fine," he says in what he hopes she'll perceive as a joking manner.

Thankfully she smiles back as she guides him out of the room. "I knew I was fine the moment that I woke up in that phoenix emergency room, to see you standing by my side."

Clark manages to keep a smile on his face though that was such an odd thing to say. Why would she know she's fine just because he's with her?

"So, did you figure out what brought down Oliver's jet? Someone may have been trying to kill you?"

_Or him._

"It is a dangerous world we live in," Tess practically shrugs off as if she's not at all fazed, as if people try to kill her all the time. "The NTSB is still investigating the explosion."

They've just stepped out of the hospital and instantly a cab appears to take them to the airport. Clark reaches out to open the door for her, but Tess is quicker. She opens the door for _him _and waits for him to get in.

He does so, feeling a bit awkward about it. He was always taught that a gentleman always holds the door open for the lady.

"So…have they found the pilot's body?" Clark asks once they're both inside.

Tess shakes her head." No. And I feel terrible. Why is it that he's dead and we're still alive?"

Clark doesn't answer. He doesn't _have _an answer to that.

"I guess I'm just lucky that you were in the right place at the right time," Tess says, but she's not looking at him when she says it. She's busy fiddling around with her phone. Clark wishes she was looking at him. He would've liked to see her facial expression because that's her second time saying something weird to him. Why would she be lucky he was there? They would've both died if he was human. Could she…no, there's no way she knows his secret. And just to be sure he says, "I guess the lucky part was finding that parachute;" just to gauge her reaction and see what she has to say.

She looks up then, giving him a very penetrating stare, as if she too is gauging his reaction for whatever he's going to say next. "Yeah, about the parachute, where was that? I looked everywhere."

Her tone is almost accusatory, and the feeling Clark had about her knowing his secret grows just a little.

"You must've missed it. I found it stashed in the cabin locker." He smiles evenly, hoping she takes his answer at face value and drops the subject.

But she doesn't. "Just one?" she inquires, head cocked to the side.

_Crap! She knows. _

He's not a hundred percent sure, but he's pretty sure right now. It's the way she's questioning him; like she already knows the answer and is just humoring him.

She raises her eyebrow even further and he realizes he never answered her. "Yeah, I was able to, uh, strap it around both of us." He says quickly, wishing he didn't stall. He's aware of how guilty it makes him look.

Tess laughs at him; well, it's not really a laugh. It's more of a chuckle really. And before Clark can wonder what's so funny, Tess says, "Lex was right about you, Clark. You're a horrible liar."

If Clark had been drinking anything just then, it would've shot out of his nose. "Lex talked to you about me?" he chokes.

Tess shrugs. "He kept a journal."

He kept a journal about him? And Tess read it! Yeah, she knows; but still, just in case she doesn't and he's pretty sure that she does, he just has to ask, "What'd it say?"

Tess puts her index finger to her lips and smiles. "I'm sworn to secrecy." Then she turns back to her phone, calm and collected. How could she be so calm and collected?

The rest of the trip, and that's including the two-hour plane trip back to Kansas, is done in silence. Tess doesn't seem to mind it, but it's one of the most uncomfortable silences Clark's ever had to endure. When the cab parks in front of the Daily Planet, Clark nearly flies out, into oncoming traffic as he's sitting behind the driver; but he waits until Tess gets out, then follows behind her.

"Well, I gotta get back to work. Wouldn't want you to think I'm not taking my job seriously," Clark jokes, or tries to joke but it comes out a little flat, before quickly turning his back on her and trying his best not to look like he's rushing away from her.

"Clark," Tess calls, and Clark tries his best not to let his shoulders droop. He turns back around with a smiles on his face. "Yes, Tess?"

"Please don't wear that to the gala tomorrow," she smirks.

He gives her a genuine smile because he's so relieved she didn't have anything "serious" to say.

"And make sure you remember your plus one," she continues. She's walking toward him, but he no longer feels the need to run. This is a safe conversation. "I won't," he says.

"And make sure Lane is actually wearing a dress," she winks as she walks passed him.

He grins and shakes his head. How'd she know he was planning on taking Lois?

Then she stops abruptly in front of him, turns around, and places a hand on his chest. She's staring him straight in the eyes and she's suddenly not joking around anymore.

Gulp.

"And one more thing, Clark. I may run his company, and I may live in his mansion, but I'm not Lex Luthor. You can trust me."

Then she walks away.

Another gulp for Clark, because Tess most definitely knows _something_.


	75. Chapter 75

**Quathis, Madcloisfan, Maggie, Jeremy shane: ** Thanks!

**Silversnikle: **Lol. Yeah I know. It's like the sooner he understands Lois's way of thinking the better for him. He won't be as afraid of her;)

**0appletree0: **Me too! She's one of my favs.

**Lilbit4: **Lol. That's understandable.

**whynot1993: **aww, sorry, I don't want you to get frustrated. But thanks for the praise and review.

**Ica013: **Me too, I'm not so big on Clark as a general rule, but I love Tess. I know, I know, it's so backwards. Thank you for the review, and I was _mostly_ joking with you about trying to make me feel guilty.

**GottaLoveThis: **Lol, you have no idea!

**Madlenita: **you're welcome!

**ClauClois: **Welcome back!

**LMalcom: **There you guys go again, making me feel bad. I don't want you to be sleep deprived over reading this story, but I feel good knowing that you were just that entertained. (Here's to hoping that didn't make me sound the least bit cocky.)

As for that hate I got, I have learned to deal with it. I just try to focus on critiques that are helpful and not complaints about things not going the way the reader wanted it to. It's really easy to tell the difference between the two. So, thanks for the very uplifting review!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

Clark can't hear Lois's thoughts anymore. He wasn't completely sure at first, but then twenty minutes went by with Clark only hearing the words coming out of her mouth. No words were said upstairs. Not even once.

The fact that she's talking makes absolutely no difference and is _not_ the reason he hasn't heard anymore of her thoughts. Lois can talk about one thing, and think about something completely off topic at the same time. He knows that for a fact.

Zatanna's spell has been broken. But how? When?

Then he suddenly thinks of it. He vaguely remembers not wanting to hear any more of Lois's rude, or distracting, thoughts just before he followed after Tess. And he'd meant it at the time; but now…He sighs inwardly. It's too bad that he's lost his gift. He could really use it right about now.

"Then you realized the pilot wasn't there anymore," Lois says, making Clark blink and remember where he is; which is at Lois's desk. He's been trying to ask her to the gala for about twenty minutes now, but she's been too busy retelling the story of the explosion of Oliver's jet as if he_ hadn't_ been on it.

It's been that way since the very second he stepped up to her desk. She'd yelled his name, but not as if she was glad to see him and relieved that he wasn't dead. She just started talking about the accident, asking for as many details as possible and filling in the blanks when she could.

"And then you and Tess _shared _a parachute?" she asks. Her tone isn't skeptical but it, but it's not exactly one of awe either. This is feeling more and more like an interview.

Clark shrugs as his response, not wanting to lie to Lois any more than he has to.

"Then you jumped and as you were falling, the jet exploded, just like that?" she questions.

Clark narrows his eyes at her and slightly cocks his head. He nearly missed them, but there were the smallest of hitches on the words "jumped," "falling," and "exploded."

A little more staring at her and he can see that she's…_shaken_. There's the swallowing thing she keeps doing, the way she keeps rubbing her hands against her thigh every once in a while, and her eyes, they never fully hold his for more than a few seconds at a time.

She's putting on an act, trying to seem cool, calm and collected, even though she's not.

Clark nearly smiles. She _was_ worried about him.

That's a very good thing; a revelation that fills him with relief. Yeah, he knows she's attracted to him a little thanks to his brief abilities to hear his thoughts, but there is a huge difference between lusting after someone because of their looks, and genuinely caring about someone. Clark now knows that both are the cases for Lois. She's attracted to, and cares for, him.

And as much as would've enjoyed it, he knows that Lois wouldn't be Lois if she expressed her concern for him by going all musing on him, telling him how worried sick she was when she heard about the jet, and how glad she is that he's alive, and how she's just die if she ever lost him, and how no one could ever-

"Earth to Smallville," Lois has to practically yell to a spaced out Clark Kent while simultaneously snapping her fingers in front of his face.

Clark shakes his head, letting Lois know he was really gone, that he hadn't been listening to a word she's said. She's been babbling on for the better part of half an hour trying to make sure he's truly okay, and the farm boy hasn't been listening to a word she's been saying.

She's not jealous, but she can't help thinking that "Jo'an" would've been able to hold his attention if she were here. She obviously more important as she was able to creep into Clark's dreams while he and Lois shared the same bed! She gets that they weren't doing anything, but still…they were in bed together. How could he think of another woman? Who does that?

"Lois!" It's Clark's turn to snap his fingers in front of a spaced out Lois. "I said, will you please go to the gala with me tomorrow, you know, the one Tess and Oliver are hosting?"

Lois blinks. The gala? How are they supposed to go to the gala being thrown because of the successful union of LuthorCorp and Queen Industries? Only the big wigs are invited.

"Tess said, I can bring a plus one and I want you to go with me."

Without wanting to, Lois smile…actually, it's more of a grin. Clark's asked _her_ to go to the gala, _her, _Lois Lane. He didn't ask that tramp, Jo'an.

"So that's a yes?" Clark practically squeals. He wasn't so sure she'd say yes. He was sure he'd have to beg, but if that smile isn't an indication of agreement, then he doesn't know what is.

"I'll think about it," Lois answers, abruptly putting the grin away and turning toward her computer. It's meant as a dismissal but Clark knows better. _That_ is most definitely a yes.

"Tess said to make sure you wear a dress."

Lois turns around, glaring at him. She opens her mouth, but before she can speak, Clark reprimands her.

"Language, Lois!" he says before turning his back on her and walking away. There's no doubt in his mind that she was gonna either say, or think, that she doesn't give a f-word about what the f-word that b-word says.

She's really got to work on that. He knows from experience that she's going to have a huge influence over Jo'an, and he'll be d-worded if he'll let their baby pick up on bad habit.

~{(O)(O)(O)}~

Chloe walks into the Ace of Clubs, dressed expensively for a gala Oliver had invited her to attend with him (but not as his _date._ More like as a friend/ partner because they work together now that she's watchtower) with one thought on her mind. Kick Oliver's ass!

Sure, Clark found out about what he did, and she knows from experience just how awful it feels when Clark's disappointed in a person for something unforgiveable he or she has done; but to get so drunk that the bartender's able to confiscate his phone and call her to pick him up is inexcusable. He's Oliver Queen, of Queen Industries, for goodness sakes! He has a reputation to protect. If he _absolutely_ just _has_ to get trashed, there's a fully stocked bar in his apartment.

She doesn't even need to scan the whole bar in order to find him. He's closest to the door, as conspicuous as can be. He's not even_ trying _to hide, not even a little.

That irritates Chloe even more. She quickly makes her way toward him, but abruptly skids to a stop once she's no more than a foot behind him.

His bartender is Jimmy.

In the back of her mind, Chloe knows Jimmy works here, but she honestly didn't expect to see him. She hasn't talked to her soon-to-be ex-husband in weeks, well, not counting the time he took her wedding ring and pawned it. She wasn't exactly herself then. Well, she _was _herself; she just didn't look like herself. She looked like Lois.

Chloe takes two deep breaths before stepping forward and clearing her throat, announcing her presence to the two men.

"Hit me," Oliver slurs, ignoring whoever had just stepped behind him and was trying to get his attention.

Save for one cold glance, Jimmy ignores Chloe too. "So, as I was saying, it'll only be a temporary loan," he continues to tell Oliver as if it was still just the two of them speaking and a certain blonde hadn't approached.

Chloe can't believe it. A loan? Jimmy's asking Oliver for a loan?

On second thought, why _can't_ she believe it? Why is she surprised that Jimmy would be asking Oliver for a loan while steadily feeding him shots which happen to be impairing Oliver's thoughts and reasoning? Jimmy's got a problem, a bad one. He needs help before it gets worse.

Jimmy sets another drink in front of Oliver, and before the publicly drunken man can swoop it up and up-end it, Chloe snatches it away.

"That's enough, Oliver."

"Why are you here, Chloe?" Jimmy finally acknowledges her presence. He's glaring at her, not even just her. He's finally noticed the dress. It's not a dress a woman wears when she's going out to have a good time. It's classy, expensive, like she's going somewhere important where rich people will be. And since Oliver's here, and she's here, one can only draw this one conclusion.

Chloe's with Oliver.

Chloe sighs, wishing Jimmy wouldn't glare at her the way he's doing. She wishes he could muster up a smile so that he could look at least a fourth like the old Jimmy.

"I'm just here to pick Oliver up, that's all," She says, trying her best to be convincing when she reassures Jimmy that she's not here to beg with, or bother, him. She understands that he wants nothing to do with her right now and she's respecting his wishes, giving him the space that he seems to need from her.

"Yeah, well, thanks _Mom_; but I'm fine. I can even drive if I want," Oliver hiccups without even turning to face her. Then he sticks his hand in his coat pocket, attempting to pull out his car keys for emphasis, but they're not there. "Okay, where are my keys?"

Chloe pulls his keys out of her purse. "Bob gave them to me," she answers, jingling them a little so that he can hear them as he still hasn't turned around to face her.

"Bob asked _you _to pick him up?" Jimmy asks, and his so tone is so accusatorial Chloe takes to defensive mode immediately.

"I was probably the last one to call and Bob hit redial, I guess."

Jimmy narrows his eyes once Chloe's excuse has been given. She's lying to him…_again_. Unnecessarily too. How dumb does she think he is? Bob didn't call her because he hit the redial button and hers was the number to pop up. The company policy is to search through the drunken customer's call history and to call the number that shows up the most.

Obviously, Chloe's was the number that popped up the most. He _knew _there was something going on between those two before. He's not a fool.

"Jimmy," Chloe tries. She's not exactly sure _what_ she's going to say to him, but she's sure the words will come. Well, they would've if he didn't choose to cut her off with a very harsh, "I'm working."

Jimmy _had_ to cut her off. Chloe's lied to him too many times. He wasn't going to sit there and listen to what he's sure was going to be another one. If she's with Oliver now, and there's absolutely no doubt in his mind that she is, that's her business. She's none of his concern any more, just as he obviously was never really any of her concern.

Chloe nods her head in understanding. Maybe now, in front of a whole club, isn't the best time to get into it with Jimmy about his new habit. She's here to take Oliver's drunk ass home. She 'll get back with Jimmy when she's done with that. One problem at a time, right?

Right.

"Let's go." Chloe demands firmly, grabbing Oliver's arm and pulling on him.

He spills out of his chair easily enough and stumble's a little before wrapping an arm around Chloe's shoulder for support he was so sure he wouldn't need.

"You're strong," he hiccups loudly. He's obviously majorly impressed.

Chloe rolls her eyes and takes the first step forward, guiding Oliver's steps as well. He better not puke on her. She doesn't care that he's the one who bought the dress. He's not the one who spent an hour on her make-up and hair. Plus, it would just be plain ol' disgusting.

Getting to his car was tiring, and she lets out a relieved exhale as she props him up against it at the best angle she could get in order to keep him upright. She unlocks the passenger door and begins to help him inside, because let's face it; he sure as hell isn't in any condition to drive.

"I'll drive," Oliver volunteers.

Chloe's only answer is a less than amused snort. She wouldn't even trust him with any of the toddler toys found in the waiting room of a pediatrician's office.

"Well, do _you _know how to get there?"

Chloe attempts to push Oliver into the car, but he's being stubborn and refuses to get inside.

"Yes, I know how to get to your apartment, Oliver." She fights herself real hard not to say, "you're the drunk one, not me."

"I'm not going home." he attempts a scowl as he says it, but he looks more or less constipated. "Gotta get to the gala."

Chloe shakes her head. He's expected to give a speech at the gala, but he's drunk on his ass. How does that even make for a good reason to be there?

"No. I'm taking you home," she says firmly. And she means it to.

But Oliver's determined to get to the gala and he can be just as stubborn as she is.


	76. Chapter 76

**Madlenita: **You're welcome!

**Chromos the cookie thief: **Clark destroyed the ring so that she can't come back;)

**Ica013: **ooo is right, Lol.

**Quathis: **Yeah it's really weird because each couple is going through very different issues from the others.

**Madcloisfan, Jeremy Shane, Maggie: **Thanks!

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

"You look nice."

"Nice" isn't the adjective that came to Clark's mind when he set eyes on Lois's dress, but it's an appropriate thing to say out loud. He can't very well tell her that he's having mixed feelings about the substantial amount of cleavage and her back that are exposed. On one hand, he really likes what he sees, on the other, he knows that other men will like it too, and he doesn't want to share.

Lois rolls her eyes and turns her back on Clark so that she can lock up. "Really, Smallville? _That's_ the best you can do? If you're going to compliment a woman, _compliment _the woman. "You look nice" is something you say to your deaf grandma."

Clark just offers her a smile and a shoulder shrug when she turns back around. It's true. If he had a grandmother, he would tell her she looks nice, even if she didn't, just to be polite. But does Lois really expect him to tell her what he's thinking about how she looks? Because despite the fact that she's always teasing him for being so wholesome and boy scout-y his thoughts aren't exactly rated PG at the moment.

Lois raises her eye brows at him and places both hands on her hips.

Obviously, she really wants a different answer.

"You look beautiful, Lois," Clark says, opting for a PG version of his thoughts, before holding his hand out for her to take.

Okay, so she knows that she asked for this; but Lois honestly wasn't expecting to get it. She wasn't expecting him to look her in the eyes and tell her she looks beautiful with a straight face. She was expecting Clark to give her one of those annoyingly adorable exasperated looks he likes to give her, and then tell her to stop fooling around because they're going to be late.

That's what he should've done anyway. She'd know how to handle that. She'd tease him about never being able to get a girlfriend because he lacks simple gentleman-like etiquettes. He'd scoff at her and maybe even tell her she's not a real lady anyway if he's feeling brave enough. She'd tell him she can still be a lady and kick his ass – I mean, that's the norm. That's what Lois and Clark do.

But no, he's holding his hand out, smiling gently at her, and waiting for her to put her hand in his. What else can she do but put her hand in his?

As soon as Clark's fingers close over Lois's his hand, he bows slightly before kissing the back of her hand.

Her pulse quickens. Just like that. Over a silly little kiss on the hand.

Then he looks up at her and grins. God, that Smile...if she was a silly little girl she'd just swoon; but she's Lois Lane. So trying her best to ignore the abnormally loud pounding in her chest, she removes her hand from Clark's. Not so fast that it's obvious she's pulling away from him, but fast enough.

"Now, that's more like it," she tells him, a satisfied smile lifting the corners of her mouth. At least, that's the face she's trying to make.

Clark's grin widens and he places a hand on small of her very bare back, guiding her to the driver's seat of his truck.

Lois had been to focused on trying not to let the hand placed so gently, but firmly, at her back affect her that she didn't even notice she hadn't been taken to the passenger's side until he opened the door. She nearly gets in, then, noticing the steering wheel she turns around and gives Clark a questioning look.

"I figured you'd want to drive, even if this is my truck," he answers, never losing that sexy grin of his.

_Oh no, no, no, no. Clark doesn't have a sexy grin!_

_Yes he does. And the grin isn't the only thing about him that's sexy. Remember when the towel almost dropped and - _

_Okay, okay, so he does. Just shut up, Lane._

Lois shakes her head, mentally getting rid of her internal argument, and determined not to let Clark catch her off guard, she narrows her eyes and says, "Who are you, and what have you done with Clark Kent?"

Clark laughs as if Lois told a good joke.

She didn't, and she wasn't joking. She really wants to know what's gotten into Clark. He's acting so strange tonight, scratch that, he's been acting weird for _weeks_. It's really throwing her off; and Lois Lane does not like being thrown off of anything.

"I'm right here, Lois," is Clark's answer for her.

Lois shakes her head. "Uh- uh. If you were the real Clark, me and you would be arguing about whose going to drive. And even though I always win, you never give in so quickly."

"Well, since I am the real me, please just get in the car Lois or we'll be late," Clark counters while tucking Lois in and shutting the door.

Lois shrugs. She can work with that. For someone who can never get anywhere on time, Clark's a real stickler for promptness. It makes no sense whatsoever, but neither does Clark.

Clark and Lois are in a good mood by the time the arrive at the gala, granted, Clark's still acting a little weird in Lois's book, but they had a lot to share and talk about. They were being more friendly, but a little more than friendly at the same time. Lois will never admit it, but it almost felt as if they were on a date or something. She even looped her arms through his when he presented it to her just before they entered the building.

It was after getting inside that the good natured atmosphere between them changed. She didn't know why at first, she could just feel Clark tense up. And when she looked into his face, she noticed that his teeth were clenched together. Then she looked around to see why and could see nothing wrong.

Seriously, the only familiar thing, people, she could see in their line of vision was Chloe. And she's with…it looks like…no, that's definitely Oliver.

Lois grins triumphantly. She knew there was something between those two. She just _knew_ they were together no matter what Clark, the liar by omission, said. Damn, she's got intuition out the as- er behind.

Ugh, that's Clark's fault. Subconsciously, she's been substituting her big girl swear words for toddler babble. He's been on her really bad about her language lately, and though he can shove it up you know where, she has noticed that she's been affected by his constant lectures. But enough about her bad words becoming extinct, Lois is more interested in saying hello to her cousin and Oliver. She takes a step toward them, but Chloe gives her a small wave and walks away, arm and arm with Oliver. What makes it worse, Clark subtly pulls her in the opposite direction under the guise of getting her something to drink.

Normally, Lois does not allow herself to be steered in any direction by anyone, but she's been caught off guard…again. There's no doubt in her mind now that Chloe, or Oliver, or Chloe and Oliver together is what made Clark go tense; but why? What's happened? Chloe and Clark are BFFs; Oliver and Clark are cool, so why are they all avoiding each other? And what's more, Chloe knew Lois was going to be at the gala. She told her, twice. So why didn't Chloe tell Lois that she was going to be there too? What's with the secrecy between the two of _them_? They're cousins, more like sisters, plus they _live _together! Lois should've known Chloe was going to be here. They could've carpooled.

There's definitely something majorly wrong, and just as Lois is about to excuse herself so she can talk to Chloe about it, Clark excuses himself, telling her that he needs a private moment with Chloe and that he'll be right back.

No good thoughts as to why Clark needs to talk to Chloe make their way to Lois's mind. Because judging by the way everyone's acting, there's no doubt in Lois's mind that there's nothing good for Clark to talk to Chloe about.

Lois would like to think that this _thing_ that's going on has something to do with the fact that Oliver and Chloe are together. It's really not that big of a deal, but knowing Clark, he'd be upset and _make_ it into a big deal. Chloe dating Oliver before she and Jimmy are officially divorced; yeah, that's something Clark would have a problem with. Sure, it's really none of his darn business, but Clark's made a habit out of butting into other people's lives; telling them what's morally right and wrong. He's done it plenty of times with her, with Lana, and with just about everyone else he cares about; but Lois has a gut feeling that that's not what it is. It's something else, some other reason they're not on speaking terms.

Then there's this little voice in her head, a voice that obviously never wants her to be happy, and it's suggesting something truly absurd. It's saying that Clark's jealous. He doesn't want Chloe dating Oliver.

See? Absurd. Truly, truly, absurd. That thought only came to her for one reason and one reason only: insecurity. Which is no better really. In order to feel insecure, Lois has got to be feeling vulnerable as well. And if Lois is feeling vulnerable, that could _only _mean she's falling for the stupid farm boy.

Surprisingly, the thought doesn't surprise her. It's like she already knew, but she didn't know at the same time.

That's just great, just her freakin' luck. She's gone and feel for stupid Clark Kent.

She shakes her head, no longer in denial, but wishing she fell for someone else. There's just no way he could ever truly love her back. He's too….good; and she's so…so…so much of a Lane.

It'll never work.


End file.
